


What Dreams Can Never Be

by Pancakesandbooks



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Blood Drinking, Canon-Typical Violence, Dream Sex, F/M, Fantasizing, Fluff and Angst, Human Bella Swan, Kissing, Loss of Virginity, Mates, Mystery, Non-Penetrative Sex, Oral Sex, Slow Burn, Sort Of, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:33:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 47,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27898363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pancakesandbooks/pseuds/Pancakesandbooks
Summary: In her dreams, he would know of her desire. His dark, seductive chuckle would usually follow her through the day, as she went about her business.She felt a nagging guilt for having such sordid desires, but she couldn't help it. The things he made her feel. She bit her lip, as her brain flooded with the images of his last visit.Bella starts to have very lucid dreams after her trip to Volterra. They are always about the same dark-haired vampire.
Relationships: Aro/Bella Swan
Comments: 88
Kudos: 103





	1. In Search Of Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> This one had to get out of my brain. I don't know if it's any good, so I may rely on you, my readers, to tell me.
> 
> Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.  
> Disclaimer #2: Lemons in this fic.

Bella sat glassy eyed in class, not really listening in on the lesson. 

Her mind was wandering a different alley entirely. She had once again been cheated of her nightly visitor. It was now more than a fortnight since he had been to visit her. In fact she actually did not know if he was even there or just a figment of her lucid dreams. It certainly _felt_ real. 

A shiver danced lightly down her spine as she tried to remember his last visit.

The dreams had been occurring ever since her return from Italy almost a year ago. In fact, she felt certain, she knew exactly when they had manifested. The second she had offered her hand to a certain dark haired vampire, so that he could try and see into her very soul. 

_Aro_

Her heart skipped a beat as his name reverberated through her mind. Oh, how he had fascinated her, captivated her mind, the moment she had stood so near to him, as he fruitlessly listened for her thoughts. She could still smell him, her mind easily recalling how his scent had enveloped her as he pulled her close.

His inability to read her, seemed to have confounded him deeply. But was it so deeply, that he would actually come visit her all the way from Europe? She frowned at the ridiculous notion. 

_Of course not. Don’t be absurd._

A small smile lingered on her lips, as her body tingled with the idea of his touch. 

Not that she minded the dreams, but she did feel a twinge of guilt from time to time. She had ended things with Edward when they got back. The long journey home from Italy had solidified the feeling that they could never work. They were still friends though. 

She knew Edward could not read her mind, for which she was exceedingly thankful. But still, her conscience would rear its head from time to time. Especially when she woke up from such a dream. It would take her a while to remember that they were no longer together.

The thing was, her dark visitor would always leave her wanting _more_. He never actually made love to her, but oh, how she wished he would. In the beginning he had never even touched her. He had just been there, in the room with her. Then he would sit on the bed beside her, his fingers caressing her hand and arm gently. Things progressed slowly from that.

In her dreams, he would know of her desire. His dark, seductive chuckle would usually follow her through the day, as she went about her business.

She felt a nagging guilt for having such sordid desires, but she couldn't help it. The things he made her feel. She bit her lip, as her brain flooded with the images of his last visit.

* * *

  
  


He would always come in the night, after she had fallen asleep. His smell was usually the first warning, as it plumed around her sleeping frame. He would always ghost his fingers over her skin, skimming her jaw, whisper softly to her in Italian. As she would gaze up at him with heavy eyes, the dark shadows clinging to his even darker frame, he would tenderly place his lips on her brow, tracing her eyelids, crooning against her face. 

Even if her mind was asleep, his touch woke her body as effectively as an electric shock to her system. She rolled onto her back, feeling him lean in over her, to reach her mouth.

His hands enclosed her face, as he captured her lips in a soft, gentle kiss, suckling her lower lips, extracting a soft moan, barely higher than a sigh from her. 

"My sweet Isabella, are you awake?" He asked in a throaty whisper. 

“ _I need you_ ,”

She needed him too. He was always very tender, slow and deliberate, gently arousing her from the deep and murky waters of sleep, her mind becoming entangled with his presence, his intoxicating scent muddling her brain even more than the sleep had done. His lips trailed feather light kisses on her skin, leaving a cold sting behind. As she became more and more aroused, her blood would race through her veins. 

Eventually, he would drag the duvet off her slightly shivering frame, his hands roaming her body, his lips following suit, kissing, licking and nibbling at every inch of skin he exposed. He would suck gently, drawing the blood close to the surface beneath the skin, crooning in satisfaction. 

Finally he was between her legs, slowly removing her bottoms, then his fingers ghosting her already damp folds, making her hips writhe in expectation as he kissed her inner thighs wetly. By this point she was desperate for his touch, and he would slowly drive her mad with his lips, tongue and sometimes teeth, until she finally came apart, exploding forcefully against his mouth, his soft encouragements drifting through the darkness.

It was at those times she felt certain he was real. But then, come morning, and she was no longer quite so sure. Her body had certainly experienced the release, she would always find the sticky traces of her nightly pleasures in her underwear.

Once he had her coming apart, it would seem to spur him on, and he would usually coax her to several more orgasms, before he would slowly crawl up her quivering body, placing his pelvis between her legs. She could feel his need for her, his erection straining against the confines of his clothes. However he would never undress. He would lay between her legs, gently pushing his hard manhood against her pulsating core, his lips at her throat, kissing and nibbling gently. His soft, dark hair would sometimes fall across her face, his sweet smell filling her nostrils, making her mind fizz and bubble with the current of her body's visceral reaction to him.

She felt him lick her throat sensuously, tilting her chin to the side. He felt her impending climax, and he growled softly, urging her on with the gentle thrusts of his hips. 

As she came once again, he would tenderly drink from her, his teeth sinking into her trembling flesh. The pain would never come, as he passionately held her close, tasting her very essence as the waves of her release still swept through her, her pelvis rolling and shuddering against him. Finally having his fill, he would close the wound by licking it slowly. Then he would dress her, taking painful care to make sure she was okay, holding her close until she drifted off. 

In the morning he would be gone. It would be as if nothing had happened. 

She snorted softly. He would simply never penetrate her, not with his fingers or, well, other things, and she felt frustrated beyond belief. In her dark room, while he pleasured her, she would often murmur a plea for him to fuck her. He always resisted, though his passion would become even more evident, his movements a fraction less controlled.

A part of her felt ashamed, that she wanted him so desperately. He was after all a ruthless vampire king. However, she could never quite forget how he had treated her with nothing but utmost politeness, even respect. Her opinions seemed to resonate with him, his crimson eyes gazing intently upon her as she spoke, lingering a moment on her lips. Recalling how his fingers had ghosted her cheek and jaw for the briefest of moments, she nearly shivered again. As he had said goodbye to her, he had left an open-mouthed kiss on her knuckles, the inside of his lips, just grazing her skin ever so slightly.

Bella sighed softly. Her daydreaming had left her insides yearning for him now more than ever. She had often tried to stay awake, waiting for him, hoping to confirm the solidity of his visits, but she never quite could keep herself from nodding off. She supposed it would be forever a mystery.

How she had become so obsessed with him, she could not quite fathom. It had become even more pronounced as the days went by and he didn't return to her. She needed him now, her body had become addicted to his touch. The fact that he was biting her as well, never really bothered her much. She knew of his nature, but she saw it with a sort of detached appreciation, seeing only the man beneath instead.

As the months went by, she needed less and less encouragement from him, her body was so ready, she would take less and less to fall apart at his touch. It would be seconds from he woke her till she was teetering on that desired edge. Now he seemed to gain delight in keeping her there for as long as possible, before he would finally relent, allowing her to surrender to the achingly sweet releases he bestowed upon her.

Even though she was perched on a stool in the classroom, she couldn't quite stop her hips from bucking ever so slightly, her walls clenching several times as her mind flooded with images of his visits. 

She sighed deeply again. 

Her brain had better soon conjure up another of these dreams. Her sexual frustration was building to hitherto unseen proportions. She needed him to touch her. 

If only she could find a way to _see_ him again.


	2. Only In Dreams Can You Never Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thank you humbly for your feedback. I gather that this is a story I should continue, then. *Wink*
> 
> This is a complicated story, and it may take some time for me to get it to unfold just as I want it to. 
> 
> Disclaimer; This chapter contains mild smut.   
> Disclaimer #2: I own nothing but the plot. 
> 
> A little reminder of how things were left:
> 
> As the months went by, she needed less and less encouragement from him, her body was so ready, she would take less and less to fall apart at his touch. It would be seconds from he woke her till she was teetering on that desired edge. Now he seemed to gain delight in keeping her there for as long as possible, before he would finally relent, allowing her to surrender to the achingly sweet releases he bestowed upon her.
> 
> Even though she was perched on a stool in the classroom, she couldn't quite stop her hips from bucking ever so slightly, her walls clenching several times as her mind flooded with images of his visits.
> 
> She sighed deeply again.
> 
> Her brain had better soon conjure up another of these dreams. Her sexual frustration was building to hitherto unseen proportions. She needed him to touch her.
> 
> If only she could find a way to see him again.

Another week had gone by and Bella was nearly crawling on the walls. Her brain seemed to have emptied its supply of dreams with Aro, and she was getting really frustrated about it. Her classmates had gotten the brunt of her frustration, as she had been short with them, and she would just sit sullenly by herself at lunch. 

Getting home from school, she only afforded Charlie marginally less impatience, and he soon left her alone, watching a game on TV. 

That night, before bed, she had a long, scalding hot shower, trying to get a release on her own. It didn't work. She went to bed more hot and bothered than ever before. She crawled gratefully in between the sheets, but soon she gave up on keeping on her pajamas, her skin far too hot and sticky for it to be comfortable. She divested herself of the garments in a huff. 

Sleep came slowly, she was tossing and turning for a long while. Eventually she got up to open the window, hoping that the cool night air would appease her agitated body. She even tried to pleasure herself again, lying naked beneath the covers. No joy, her touch was not nearly as satisfying as his, even if it only was in her dreams, and she pushed the duvet aside, an annoyed sigh torn from her. 

Eventually she drifted off, her exposed body soothed by the caresses of the soft movement of the air from the open window. 

* * *

It was his intoxicating scent that alerted her to his presence. She started awake, her bleary eyes searching the dark room. He was standing at the foot of the bed, his face deep in shadows. She felt her pulse race as she looked up at him, not with fear, but with excitement. Finally, he was with her again. 

He inhaled deeply. She heard a soft growl hiss through his teeth. 

He stepped closer to her bed, his hands moving down the front of his suit jacket to slowly loosen the buttons. She gulped slightly as she realised he was taking his jacket off. 

That had never happened before. Now he was in his white shirtsleeves and a pair of black trousers.

As he moved nearer, his eyes were caught by a sliver of light from her window, and his hot, crimson gaze seemed luminescent, as it homed in on her face. She suddenly became aware that she was still lying splayed on her back, completely naked. She slowly reached for the covers.

"Leave them," the words were spoken softly, tenderly. 

"Please, do not move," he said gently, as he slowly tossed his suit jacket to the side. Then he began opening his shirt. She nearly gasped out loud. Was he undressing completely? He tossed it aside too, and looked at her again.

She halted, and just lay, watching him, as he stood bare chested before her, his frame sheathed in deep shadows, shielding him from her direct scrutiny. He moved slowly, as he crawled up the bed, easing himself in between her slightly splayed thighs. She felt his desire, the evidence of it pressing eagerly at the confines of his soft trousers.

This could not be a dream. His body was so cold, surely it would awaken her more effectively than a bucket of icy water. If, however, she was asleep, she hoped to god she would not awaken, not now. 

He came to rest on top of her, his bare chest against hers, his weight pressing her gently into the mattress, it creaked softly. Her mind briefly wondered if Charlie would hear them. Then she remembered it was only a dream.

Resting on his elbows, his long, dark hair framing their faces, his fingers caressed her cheeks, combing through her hair ever so lightly, as he looked down at her, his passion swirling just beneath the surface. 

"Your scent lingers strongly in the room," he murmured softly. 

"It is nearly driving me mad." His words made her shiver slightly. 

She didn’t know what to say, and she merely gulped, the sound rather loud in the hush room.

A slow, seductive smile spread across his lips. 

“Did you miss me?”

She nodded shyly, feeling her cheeks heat slightly.

He hummed appreciatively. 

“It has been so long, and yet you say my name in your sleep,” She blushed even harder at that.

Her mouth was all dry, and she moved her tongue over her bottom lip to moisten it, before she bit it between her teeth. 

He saw it, and without warning, he kissed her deeply, heatedly, his arms circling beneath her shoulders, pulling her close. She was nearly overwhelmed, feeling him move against her. He dragged his tongue across her mouth, urging her to let him in. Her lips parted with a soft gasp, and he plunged in, tasting her eagerly, groaning softly. 

She finally dared to place her hands around his back, feeling his cold, soft skin, squeezing him where she could reach him. His teeth sank gently into her fleshy bottom lip, sending a jolt straight to her core. She writhed beneath him, her skin tingling where she felt their bodies touch. 

"Please," she whimpered against his mouth. His breathing was heavy, and he froze slightly. 

“Do not beg me, my dear, or I am afraid I will not be able to resist you,” he said, gulping harshly, his brow pressed against hers. 

“But I want you,” she pleaded, trying to kiss him again, her arms coming up around his shoulders. 

“Ah, my dear, you tempt me beyond comprehension. I desire you so,” he hissed, his hips rolling sharply into her core, making her jolt as his rock hard erection grazed her centre, making her moan softly. 

He kissed her again. It was a different kiss from all her other dreams of him. It was messy, wet and hot, despite his coldness. His lips continually captured hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth, lapping at her tongue and lips. Her senses were buzzing with desire for him, and her movements became increasingly desperate. Her fingers came to his chest, feeling his hard muscles beneath his cold skin, her fingers tangling slightly in his chest hair. 

She wrapped her legs around his thighs, trying to pull him closer, her hands travelling down to his waistband, trying in vain to push his trousers down. No joy, he was wearing a belt.

“Dear one, you must stop,” he said, his voice thick. 

“I may have excellent self-control, but even I have my limits,” he growled. 

Bella did not heed his words. She tipped her pelvis upwards, trying to push against him, searching for some kind of friction to ease the desperate ache between her legs. 

He did not allow it, instead, he got up from her, kneeling between her splayed thighs, a deep sigh emanating from him as he dragged a hand down his face, pinching the bridge of his nose slightly. 

Then he peered down at her again, his ruby eyes almost purple in the darkness.

She gazed up at him with heavy lidded eyes, then she slowly sat up too. He watched her intently, as she hugged him around the middle, her nose touching his sternum gently. She nuzzled his skin, feeling the hairs tickling her face. Her lips parted slightly, as she placed a gentle kiss. He hissed softly, his arms coming up around her waist, and he pulled her close, hugging her, his hand caressing her back and hair. He felt her pulse strumming just beneath her blazing hot skin. She was practically straddling him now, and she was breathing harshly, as she tried to gain friction by basically dry humping him.

He pulled back slightly, placing a finger under her chin, tilting her head back, he bent down to kiss her again, tenderly this time. Slowly, he pushed her back down onto the bed, kissing her as he did so. 

He hovered slightly above her, looking into her face. She suddenly felt his fingers between her legs, softly caressing her puffy and sensitive folds. She instinctively closed her eyes and raised her pelvis slightly, spreading her legs further apart. He prodded a finger gently in between her inner lips, lightly grazing her entrance, and upon feeling the moisture, he growled softly. 

“Hmmm, you are so wet, my dear,” he said huskily. She whimpered softly and writhed in response, trying to urge him on. Her insides were fluttering almost painfully with the need of him. She whimpered again, almost on the verge of telling him to get on with it, when she sensed his gaze upon her. 

“Please look at me, Isabella,” his voice was soft as silk. 

She opened her eyes. His mouth was hovering only a hair breadth away from hers, and his eyes were deep pools of desire. 

“Thank you,” 

And with that he began to penetrate her with his finger, using gentle thrusts, easing his way into her body. She let out a small gasp as he entered her, feeling how the muscles clenched around his digit. A soft sigh escaped her, feeling how he massaged her tender walls, creating a completely new sensation she had never felt before. 

He slowly added a second digit, fingering her carefully, until he was deep within her, the heel of his palm coming to rest against her clit. She moaned deeply, her hips jerking slightly as her insides clamped down sharply around his fingers. He repeated the movement, and her body began to tingle, goosebumps erupting all over her skin. She squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip hard as she began to tremble. 

“Please look at me, Isabella,” he repeated, never ceasing the movement of his hand, thrusting into her soft heat, feeling her orgasm approach hastily. 

She did as he said, and he kept her eyes locked as he ever so slowly sent her careening into a strong, shuddering climax, a few sharp whimpers coming from her. She was breathing heavily now, her eyes finally closed again. Then he kissed her passionately, all the while he gently thrust into her again and again, allowing her body to find another release almost immediately after the first. She was so wet by now, that she could hear his fingers as they pushed into her repeatedly, but she was so far gone that she did not care. All she wanted was for him to continue whatever he was doing.

He had her slowly coming apart again, her gentle cries getting drowned in between his lips, as he kept kissing her deeply. Her third orgasm had her trembling violently beneath him, and her hand came up to hold onto his shoulders, needing to feel more of him. 

He growled deeply, lowering his body down on top of her, her nipples mashed against his chest, the friction making her undulate her hips heatedly against him. He began to kiss her throat, and she knew what he wanted. She tilted her head sideways, allowing him space. 

He easily found her pulse, and licked it slowly, erotically, creating a vacuum with his lips, sucklin her skin. He kept fingering her gently, soon having her on the edge of another climax, her body shuddering again. As she exploded, he sank in his teeth, drinking from her again, moaning softly, the vibrations rattled her frame slightly as they transferred from his chest to hers. As the waves tapered out, he licked the wound, knitting the flesh easily. Then he retracted his fingers from her slightly trembling body, lying quietly on top of her, his face pressed into her neck. She felt completely boneless. She could feel his erection pressing insistently into her thigh, and she wanted to continue with him, but knew that she had already pushed him to his limits, so she said nothing more and simply enjoyed the feel of his body pressing into hers. 

She never realised when she drifted off, his sweet smell in her nostrils, his fingers gently skimming her cheek as she sank into that familiar murkiness of sleep, her body gently humming. 

In the morning, she woke with a start, her brain snapping to attention immediately. She was in her room, naked beneath her covers. The sun was up, and she realised she had overslept. She started to bolt out of the bed, but froze slightly, as she felt her sluggish muscles. She nearly gave a soft laugh, as she remembered her dream. A searing hot flash sprang through her loins, and she felt a gentle gush. Grabbing her robe, she swiftly went to the bathroom, to relieve herself. As she wiped, she frowned as she thought she saw a tiny hint of pink on the toilet paper. She wondered if she was starting her period shortly, and shrugged slightly. She put on a panty liner, just in case, and finished getting ready for school. 

* * *

Coming home later in the afternoon, she found her father in the kitchen going through some case files from his work. She greeted him, got a glass of water, which she drank down and then hurried upstairs, wanting to get going on her homework. 

Just as she reached the door of her bedroom, her father called for her. 

“Bells!” His deep voice was tentative. She almost felt like rolling her eyes at him, but resisted. She turned back and looked down the stairs. He was standing at the bottom steps. 

“Yeah?” She said curiously. 

He cleared his throat, and gave kind of an awkward twitch. 

“Is everything… Okay? With you?” He asked awkwardly. She stared at him. 

“Yeah,” she finally said, almost baffled at his sudden concern. 

He nodded slowly. She went back to her bedroom door, and just as she opened it, he spoke again, his voice carrying up the stairs. 

“I was thinking of going on a fishing trip with some of the guys from work,” 

Bella didn’t answer. She was staring in utter astonishment into her room, her hand resting on her door knob. 

A tall, darkly clad stranger was standing in her shadowy room, his back to her. Her mouth went dry.  _ That hair _ \- she would recognise that anywhere. 

Aro slowly turned around to face her, his red eyes intently on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would apologize for the cliffie, but I know how you like them so much. 
> 
> Next one will be done as fast as I can. I do have work the coming days though. 
> 
> Thank you for understanding. 
> 
> -Pancakes


	3. Dreams Can Make Or Break You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello gentle people reading this fic.   
> I am sorry for the wait on the update. This was sooooo hard to write, it was ridiculous! I am still not certain I like it, and I may go back to change it at some point. We shall see. 
> 
> If you enjoy it, please let me know. 
> 
> And please let me tell you! I enjoy reading your reviews! They feed my soul! And muse, but who is counting her?
> 
> I will have work the coming days, so updates will be further out in the future, which is why I'm posting this one.

“Bells?” Charlie called from downstairs. “Did you hear me? Is everything okay?” He repeated. Suddenly his footsteps could be heard on the staircase. 

Aro was in front of her in a flash, his gloved finger under her chin. He pressed his other gloved index to his mouth to indicate that she should say nothing of his presence. 

His touch snapped her out of it, and she called hesitantly over her shoulder. 

“Everything is fine. I, uh, I just think I started my period, and I need to sort it out!” The steps stopped instantly.

“Right,” she heard her father say, his voice all awkward again. Despite the shadows that enveloped his features, she could still see as a slow smirk spread across Aro’s face. 

“Do you need me to get you anything?” Charlie asked then. 

“No, no, I’m fine! You should go on that trip. I’ll be fine,” she said. All the while this conversation was going on, her eyes never left Aro’s as he gazed intently on her, that smirk still on his face. She could see his teeth glinting. 

Charlie answered noncommittally and swiftly gathered his things to leave. 

“Drive safe,” she shouted down to him. He grunted softly, and then the door slammed shut. 

Silence filled the house, and all she could do was stare at the vampire in front of her. 

“Isabella,” he greeted politely. 

Gosh, he was just as she remembered him. Tall, slim, but strong. She appraised his body, shoulders, chest and further down, before she caught herself, blinking hastily, shaking her head slightly. 

“Aro,” she blurted with less dignity than she had intended, her voice somewhat squeaky. Well, he had caught her off guard. 

Another smirk settled onto his face. Clearly he had caught her wandering eyes. She blushed, biting her lip as she looked down at the floor, trying to hide her embarrassment. 

She saw his ridiculously shiny, black shoes step closer, and she glanced up swiftly, as she sensed his hand coming close to her face. His sweet smell plumed around her, and she breathed deeply on instinct. He placed his thumb on her lower lip, tugging it out from between her nibbling teeth. His leather glove felt exceedingly soft.

“ _ Affascinante _ ,” he murmured quietly, his fingers skimming her jaw, his touch, his proximity making her mind and body reel.

There was that soft caress again. She couldn’t suppress the tingle that travelled down her spine, and she trembled slightly. She looked into his face. After all this time she had a hard time keeping her vivid dreams of him from her mind. Luckily he couldn’t read her. But still, her body had the tiniest reaction, her breath caught in her throat, her stomach fluttered, and she nearly leaned towards him. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to stem the flow of the mental images of their bodies pressed together in fierce passion. 

“Is something the matter?” His voice was a soft velvety murmur. 

She glanced at him, seeing his smirk, his teeth showing slightly, glinting at her through the shadows. Hastily shaking her head, she straightened up. 

“No, I just feel somewhat cold,” she lied flatly, her voice sounding constricted. She cleared her throat. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked rather abruptly. She felt her cheeks heat again, aware of the rudeness.

He smirked again. Not answering her question he took a deep breath.

“That was a swift and convincing lie,” he finally said softly, indicating at the stairs where her father had almost appeared. Holding onto her chin, he pulled her through the door and into her shadowy room, slowly, closing the door behind them. 

She shrugged somewhat. 

“I did see traces of it this morning,” she said, still looking into his face. 

He frowned slightly. 

“Traces?” 

“Of blood,” she explained, “I thought my period might begin today,” she added. She felt weird, that she was talking to him about this. He was standing here in her room, as real as herself, and they were discussing her period. After all these months of him in her dreams, this was not what she imagined them talking about. 

His frown deepened. 

“You are bleeding?” His voice was deep and rich, a note of worry in it. 

“Not a lot. It was a tiny amount this morning,” she said feeling like she was rambling now. 

“It’s completely norma-,” she broke off, as a sudden realisation hit her. 

“Unless,” she said in a whisper. His hand fell from her chin. 

“Unless what?” He asked softly. 

She stared at him. 

“You-” her voice was a hoarse whisper, and she gulped slightly, clearing her throat. 

“You were here last night?” She finally managed. 

His face was quite impassive.

  
  


She began to walk around him, stumbling slightly, the flat floor of her bedroom getting the better of her clumsiness. She felt anger bubbling up in her chest. He had been here?

She walked numbly around for a moment, sensing his gaze on her all the while. Finally she turned back toward the tall vampire, nearly glaring at him. 

“What is going on?” She demanded hotly, her mind finally catching up. 

Aro appraised her silently, There was no hostility in his demeanor, and she felt herself calm down somewhat. She knew on instinct that he would not harm her.

“We should talk,” he said quietly. 

“Yes, I think we should,” she confirmed fiercely. 

“What have you done?” She asked him angrily. 

“Isabella, I cannot think of what you could be referring to,” he said softly. 

“Think harder!” She snarled, her anger flaring up. 

“You have been to see me before now, haven’t you?” She pointed accusingly at him, stepping closer to him again. 

Aro stared steadily back at her. 

“Well?” She all but yelled. 

“Yes,” he finally said. 

“One time,” he said. “Last night was my first visit to you. You were asleep, and I woke you accidentally. What happened afterwards…” He sighed deeply, shaking his head somewhat. 

“It was not my intention to do… What we did,” He said, his voice filled with worry and unless her ears deceived her, contrition. 

She stared at him long and hard. 

She felt confusion welling up. He had only been to see her once?  _ Impossible! _

"You drank from me, Aro!" She said. 

“And you….” She struggled to find words. “Did other things as well!” She finally managed. 

His mouth was a thin line.

“I would like to remind you, Isabella, that you were more than willing, eager in fact for my touch,” he said in a low voice.

“I thought, I was dreaming!” She snapped angrily. 

“And how was I supposed to know that, my dear? As you will recall, I cannot read your mind,” He was speaking stiffly now. He took a deep breath, trying to gather himself.

“However, you are right. What happened last night. I should not have touched you like that. I am so sorry, I lost control. I can assure it will not happen again.” 

She stared at him not knowing what to do or say. The anger that had flared so suddenly within her seemed to eb away. It was all such a confusing mess. She could tell he was being truthful. He had no idea that he had been a frequent visitor in her dreams, which was why she had reacted the way she did. He only saw her desire for his touch, and he had tried to resist somewhat. 

A thought occurred to her.

“You asked if I had missed you. If you have not been here before last night, how cou-”

“I meant from our first meeting. As I watched you sleep, you were murmuring my name, indicating to me that you were indeed dreaming of me, but not just any dream. It was a sexual dream. As you lay naked on your bed, sighing my name out loud, I admit I could not resist you. Please forgive me.” He was serious. She couldn’t speak, she was just staring at him, her mouth slightly agape.

He stepped a little closer to her. 

“Please do not judge me too harshly. I had my reasons for being here. However I was not prepared for the temptation you presented,” he said, his face earnest. 

Reasons? What reasons?

Crossing her arms across her chest, she lifted her eyebrows at him. 

“Go on,” she growled. He stepped a little closer. He seemed to prepare for a long explanation.

“If you recall, when we met last year, I could not read your mind. I still cannot do so, for that matter,” He indicated over his shoulder, thumb pointing at her bed, clearly thinking of how he had touched her the night before. She flushed, scowling again.

“However,” he said, sensing her impatience.

“I read Alice’s mind that day. You remember how she showed me your future?” He looked at her earnestly. She nodded, biting her lip.  _ What had Alice seen? _

“She did indeed show me you, as a vampire, but she showed me far more than perhaps was her intention. It was not her fault of course, I can see  _ everything  _ after all,” he said, rather nonchalantly.

“Get to the point, Aro,” she hissed through gritted teeth. 

“Well, I saw something most intriguing in her visions,” he said hastily. Despite her anger, Bella’s curiosity got the better of her, and she kept silent, waiting for him to continue. 

“As it turns out, Alice has had a multitude of visions, which included you in them all. None of them showed that you and Edward would end up together. Edward, of course, knew this, with him being able to read minds at a distance. This is partly the reason he sought out the assistance of the Volturi, his pain and suffering too great for him to bear at the time. Of course, as you saved him, his hope was rekindled, but you soon crushed the last vestiges, as you ended it again when you got back here,” he gestured vaguely, elegantly continuing on with the story. 

“Although she saw you becoming a vampire, she saw how your life would come to a branch. It could go two ways. One way, you will end up in a bright future, your long vampire life seemingly endless, and full of joy, but also some great achievements. I will not disclose them for you here, because we all like a good surprise now and again.” He smiled gently through the gloom. 

“The other branch, see you travel back to Italy. It involves my brother Marcus, or rather his gift. You go to see him for confirmation of a matter, that you hitherto were unaware of. Then you will travel the world for a few weeks, trying to come to terms with whatever he has revealed to you. Eventually, you will come back here, settling down for a short while, enjoying the company of your friends, your father and the Cullens, until you eventually come to realise that you wish only for the company of someone else,” His voice trailed off hesitantly, his head tilting slightly as he gazed intently upon her.

“Of course this is all conjecture. Alice’s visions may change, though these did seem to be recurring regularly. Only one thing seems to be an alternative to these two futures.” Silence filled the air between them. 

Bella stared at him. She needed no prizes to guess who the someone else was. Though this explained nothing of her dreams these last months, she did think she saw where he was going with it. And what talent did his brother have? She tried to wrack her brains for anything that Edward or Carlisle might have told her, but she came out blank. 

“What’s the alternative?” She asked in a hoarse voice. He considered her a moment. Her brazenness impressed him. She could easily have told him to get out. He still had to be careful. 

“It is that you consider my proposition in the next few days and then travel to Italy.” he said, his voice warm and gentle, but also hesitant. Bella gulped. She felt kinda trapped. 

“Travel back to Italy? But why would I do that? Who would I visit?” She asked, mouth dry, her voice confused, yet she had an inkling. He pursed his lips slightly, straightening up, even though he already stood ramrod straight.

“Me.” He said, simply. 

\---

Bella felt herself grow numb at his word. She stared at his lips, willing them to continue speaking. He did not. 

“Okay, can I have a moment,” she said, her voice slightly husky. 

He gestured for her to please do so.

She turned away, her fingers nearly knotting in upon themselves. 

So, it had only been dreams after all. Well not all. Last night had been real. She felt so confused. Why would she dream so vividly? She glanced at him. She knew he was watching her. She sighed. Might as well get everything out in the open now.

“The last year or so, I have been having these recurring dreams.” It was a hesitant statement.

“Oh?” He said softly. 

  
  


“About the two of us,” She slowly elaborated, watching him intently. He waited politely for her to continue. 

“Together,” she finished lamely. He frowned somewhat. 

“Together?” He asked nonplussed.

She gave him a meaningful look, and his face went smooth all at once. 

“Oh,  _ together _ ,  _ insieme, _ ” he murmured, his finger coming up to scratch his chin thoughtfully. 

“Let me see if I understand you correctly. You have had dreams about the two of us, together in passion?” 

Bella blushed fiercely now. This was terrible. 

“Well, we never actually have sex, if that’s what you’re thinking. You just…” She cleared her throat violently, not knowing how on earth she had thought it a good idea to tell him about it. 

“I just-  _ what _ ?” He encouraged her. 

“You, um… You usually give me erm… Intense pleasure, and then…. uh…” She coughed softly.

“Then you drink from me, but without killing me. You bite me as I... Well you know…” Her cheeks were flaming.

He frowned again. 

“I bite you as you do what exactly?” He was genuinely confused as to what she was referring to. 

She wanted to sink into the ground.

“You, um bite me, just as I… Erm… Have an orgasm,” she said as quietly as she could muster. 

"You know, much like last night," She murmured.

Her face was smarting from the heat rising to her cheeks. She must be shining like a beacon.

“I see,” he said, looking at her with his ever penetrating stare. 

“So, in these dreams, I drink your blood, while you are pleasuring yourself?” He said, finally. 

“God, no!” She exclaimed. “I would never do that!” She blurted before she could stop herself. 

He gave an elegant shrug. 

“There is nothing wrong with one giving oneself pleasure, Isabella. We all do it from time to time.” She gaped at him. He spoke so casually, that it was as if they were discussing watching a simple movie. 

“I don’t,” she finally managed. She thought of how she had tried the day before.

“Usually,” she added grudgingly.

“Oh, well, you are certainly missing out, my young human. Though I suppose you have plenty of time to get on it,” he added as an afterthought. 

“I never really got the hang of it anyways,” she said, slightly annoyed. She shook her head. Was she discussing masturbation with the king of vampires? This was unreal. 

“Well, then, it is never too late to learn,” he said, smirking somewhat now. 

“This is getting away from the topic,” she said, waving a dismissing hand at him. 

“I fail to see how that is not on the topic. Regardless, I gather that it is I who makes you orgasm? How exactly?”

“Does that matter?” She asked faintly. 

“I was just curious as to how you see us together,” he said, smirking somewhat. 

“You use your, um, appendage!” She said, finally, gesturing somewhat desperately. 

“But I thought you said…” he began. 

“Yes, you use it to caress me on the outside! Are we done with this subject now? Can we drop it?” She asked, her cheeks flaming. 

“Certainly,” he said pleasantly. 

“Good!” She blew out her cheeks, raising her eyebrows. She felt short of breath. This was just ridiculous. 

“Well, this  _ is  _ interesting,” He said thoughtfully.

A pregnant pause stretched between them. She felt goosebumps on her arms and she rubbed them slightly, trying to ward off the coldness of her inner turmoil. 

He began to unbutton his coat, walking over to her, and placing it gently around her shoulders. She nearly drowned in it, but she felt grateful for his concern. It was made of soft wool, and his delicious scent clung to the fabric. She resisted the urge to bury her nose in it and inhale deeply. 

“Thank you,” she said softly. He merely smiled down at her before stepping back somewhat, turning away to look around her room.

“So,” she began. He turned back towards her.

  
  


“How can you drink from me without killing me?” She asked curiously, frowning. 

He frowned too, thinking.

“It is a matter of self-control I suppose. I withhold my venom, so I do not contaminate your blood, and I do not drink too much, just enough to get what I need.”

“And what is it that you need?” She asked brazenly. 

He met her gaze head on. 

“You.” An awkward silence filled the room.

She glanced away from him, trying to think of something to say. 

“Why all the pleasure? You could just drink your fill. I would probably never even have noticed,” she said, her fingers tracing a pattern into the soft material of his cloak. 

“Ah,” he said softly. He could not blush, but she felt certain that he would have if he could. It was his turn to feel uncomfortable.

“When a human experiences sexual release, their body releases all these hormones and chemicals into the bloodstream. The more pleasure, the more…” He trailed off pointedly.

She gasped softly. 

“Oh my god, can you taste...?” She exclaimed, shocked and weirdly fascinated at the same time. He considered the question. 

“I do not know, to be frank. I think it is what it does to me after I drink from you. It works like a drug to me, I suppose. Furthermore, the pleasure helps to dull the pain of my bite. If I were to bite you now, you would most certainly feel it. The human body however, often likes a little pain with the pleasure,"

“Huh,” she pondered that. Edward had said something similar once, about her blood acting like a drug, but it was because he desired her blood like nothing else. Aro was speaking of something different. 

“I wonder why I would dream of such things,” she said aloud. “It is weirdly specific, considering I know nothing of such matters. She stared blankly into space for a moment. It almost felt like it had been a premonition, considering their very real activities last night.

“Isabella,” he said gently, gazing intently at her. She looked up. 

“I would like to discuss my proposition with you,” he said. She had completely forgotten about it. 

“Okay,” She said. 

“I realise that this must sound strange to you, but I hope you will consider it nonetheless,” he began in a careful voice. 

“I would like to get to know you. Indeed, I would like to court you,” he said, softly. 

She stared at him. 

He stepped a little closer. 

“I have felt it from the first time I touched you. You offered me your hand, remember? I asked, and you gave it to me, willingly,” He said, taking another small step towards her. 

“As it turns out, such a gesture, will under certain circumstances, create a bond between vampires,” 

“But I am not a vampire…” she managed weakly. 

“I am aware,” he said softly, his dark gaze lingering on her throat for a second. 

“My brother Marcus, realised it too late. And since then, I am afraid we have felt a strong attraction to each other. Since you are a human, we do not know the full scenario of the matter. Your... Dreams are most likely a result of our interaction,” he added thoughtfully. 

“I will have to confer with Marcus to be sure.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded. He sighed softly. She nearly laughed at the things he was telling her, it felt ridiculous. Not knowing exactly what to do or say, she simply pulled his coat tighter around her, burying her nose in it. She closed her eyes and breathed in. His scent swirled within her. It was like a deep bass, strumming her very essence, vibrating her soul. Something snapped and she felt a burst of molten lava flood her system. Her eyes snapped open. He was so very close to her now.

“I would like you to know that I was attracted to you long before that. I find you a compelling creature. The way you do not judge monsters like me. I have tasted your blood, and yet you are not repulsed by me. On the contrary, your body is telling me that you want me,” he said, his voice a deep murmur again, as he stepped near to her, breathing her in, his gloved fingers tracing her jaw on both sides of her face, his eyes intently on her lips. 

“ _ Straordinario, _ ” he breathed.

They both remained silent for a long moment, just looking at each other.

“I could kiss you,” he finally said huskily, his voice low and seductive.

“May I?” He asked.

She paused, thinking. He was so very near, his crimson eyes filled with a longing she would have never thought he possessed. She nodded. She felt her scalp tingle as he slowly moved in close, their lips almost touching. It felt like a cursory glance, as his lips gently ghosted over hers. It was barely a kiss, but she felt her brain grow numb, and she nearly gave a soft moan. Gods, she wanted him.

Aro’s breathing was slightly laboured, as he leaned his brow against hers, struggling to control himself. She wanted more. Feeling reckless, she tilted her head, and placed another gentle kiss on his lips. A soft growl came through his chest.

Suddenly she found herself lifted up, and gently placed against the wall beside her door. Aro peppered her face with gentle kisses before he caught her mouth in a searing kiss, his passion bubbling to the surface at last. Bella gasped gently, trying to follow along as he awakened something in her even her dreams could have never done. She couldn’t quite believe he was here, actually kissing her, even propositioning her to be his. After all this time, she was finally experiencing him first hand. She didn’t care about anything else, she took it all. 

He paused, and while keeping her gaze locked, he used his teeth to pull off his leather gloves. Then, as they fell to the floor, he kissed her again.

His hands were at her waist, and they searched beneath her blouse, seeking out her skin. She gasped as his cold fingers found the soft flesh of her stomach, dragging slowly down towards her hips, his fingers curling around toward her lower back. She placed her hands around his neck, fingers interlacing in his hair, her nails scraping his scalp. He pulled her close, all the while still kissing her passionately, his pelvis came easily in between her legs, and she soon felt just how much he wanted her. She groaned softly. He held her there, not doing anything more, but kissing her - though that was plenty to drown her senses.

Eventually their kiss cooled down somewhat, and he soon pecked her lightly on the lips, before pulling away. They were both panting slightly. 

"Thank you," he said softly, gulping slightly. 

She said nothing. She felt torn. She wanted him badly, and could barely control the urge to kiss him again. Simultaneously her brain was screaming at her to be cautious. Despite her dreams, and their already shared touches, she did not know much about him. 

She studied his features. He was handsome, that she knew. And he was a good kisser. He was also very adept at giving her pleasure. She felt her nether regions flutter at the thought of his touch. Half her mind didn't really need to know more. She felt herself grow hot in the face again. At least he couldn't read her mind.

“I know you want more,” he whispered gently. He swallowed harshly. 

“I can smell you, feel your pulse as it strums beneath your soft skin.” He closed his eyes.

“I can barely resist you,” he said, his voice strained. He placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart as it beat frantically against her ribs. His eyes snapped open.

“I should go.” His words were soft, filled with reluctance. 

“Why?” She asked, frowning. She did not want him to leave. Not now that he was finally here. 

“I thought you wanted to get to know me? Can’t you stay a little longer?” She felt like she was rambling. He smiled gently. 

“I suppose you have a point,” And with that, stepped back from her. He plucked his gloves from the floor, and went to her desk to sit down, turning it towards her. 

“So, Isabella, why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

She was taken aback by his question and for several seconds she simply stood gaping like a fish on land. Then, when he tilted his head slightly, still waiting for her to reply, she got a grip and slowly went to her bed, where she sat down at the end, so they were face to face. 

“Well, I’m from Forks originally, but my parents divorced early on, so we moved to Downey, California, then we lived in Riverside…”

“Isabella,” Aro interrupted gently.

“I do not wish to hear where you’ve lived and when you were born. I can look that up any time I wish. I meant about you, your interests. What makes you tick?” He elaborated smoothly. 

She stared at him, not knowing what to say. 

“I don’t have any interests, actually. I’m just a clumsy person. I like books, though. She added as an afterthought. 

“Oh? What kind of books?” He asked, curiously. 

“Um,” she said hesitantly. Then she got up and rummaged beneath her pillow, and found her favorite book, Wuthering Heights. She handed it to him, and he observed the cracked spine and the rather forlorn drooping of the pages. 

“This has been read many times,” he commented, looking up at her. 

“Yes, it’s my favorite,” She agreed. 

He hummed in understanding. 

“I have a favorite too,” he said, paging delicately through the book. 

“Really?” Bella asked, surprised. 

He hummed softly, nodding as well. 

“Yes, Persuasion, by Jane Austen is my favorite,” he said quietly. 

She gaped down at him. 

“I never had you pegged for a romantic,” She said, almost chuckling. 

“Oh, I am very romantic. You can ask my brothers. Caius thinks it’s quite ridiculous,” He said, smirking gently up at her.

“Why that book in particular?” She asked, taking back Wuthering Heights as he handed it to her. 

“It reminds me of how we change, how there is still a possibility for redemption, despite our flaws,” He spoke smoothly, standing up slowly in front of her. 

“Oh,” was all she could say to this. He chuckled. 

“I know,” he added. “I am not what you expected. I am soft.” He bent down and gave a slow kiss on her cheek. She felt blood rise to her face at his touch. 

Seeing her reaction, he caressed her warm cheek with a finger. 

“I may be a romantic, but you still tempt me, my young human,” he said quietly, breathing deeply. 

She gulped slightly. 

“Do you want a drink?” She asked dumbly, not exactly sure what to say to him. 

He was quite tall, and he towered over her as she stood before him. He chuckled darkly at her words, shaking his head gently. 

“I already have taken too many liberties with you, my dear. I have to be careful,” He said softly. 

She shrugged. 

“I don’t mind,” she said, holding his gaze. As she spoke, she pulled aside her sweater, revealing her neck to him. 

His nostrils flared slightly, his eyes homing in on her soft flesh. He took a deep breath, trying to master his emotions. 

“I really should not,” he murmured, even as he placed a hand on her chin, turning her head to the side, revealing even more of her throat to his hungry gaze. 

She felt his cold lips on her neck, sensuously kissing her, nibbling slightly. 

“You seem to lack basic self-preservation skills,” she heard him say against her skin. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Inviting a vampire to bite you is considered an action on the list of stupid things we do not do,” he added darkly, slowly walking her backwards until her legs hit the bed. 

“I think I missed the day that list was in our curriculum,” she breathed. Her brain was humming and fizzing with activity. 

“Clearly.” And he gently pushed her down onto the bed, easily pressing her into the mattress. He grabbed one of her knees and lifted it up, so he could insinuate himself between her thighs. She gave a gasp as she felt the strength of him, her body easily giving in to his desire. 

He was at her throat in an instant, licking her pulse, feeling it strum against his tongue. He gave a deep growl, as he felt the last vestiges of his self-control leave him. His hips rolled gently against her, and her fingers clutched at his shirt, feeling pressure just where she needed it. 

“You could turn me,” she breathed as his teeth scraped her skin gently. 

She felt him stiffen. His face was suddenly hovering above her, and his eyes bore into hers. 

“Is that what you want?” He asked, his voice soft as silk. 

She nodded hastily. No going back now. Edward had refused to turn her, but she knew what she wanted. 

“It would be an honor for me to turn you, young Isabella. However, I do wish to see it done where we have more control over the situation. Which is why I would like to invite you to Italy. Visit me at my home, and I will make you a vampire, a queen,” He spoke slowly, his crimson gaze observing her reaction. 

“Why do you want me to visit you so badly?” She asked urgently. He hesitated. 

“There is something you’re not telling me,” she persisted. 

“What is it?” She asked hastily. 

He looked at her in evident disquiet, then slowly, he rolled off her, sitting up at the foot of the bed, his back to her. 

“Aro?” She sat up, staring at his dark back. She had never even realised how dark her room had become. She could barely distinguish his frame from the surrounding shadows.

“My dear young one. Your questions are profound. I cannot yet answer them,” he finally said in a grieved voice. 

“Why not?” She was confused. 

“Because, my dear, it would change everything, and I am not yet ready for that to happen,” he said wearily, turning around to look at her. She saw the sorrow in his eyes, and relented her questioning. 

He sighed deeply, looking through the window at the inky night outside. 

“It is late,” he said softly. 

“You should sleep,” he added. 

Bella shook her head. 

“I don’t think I can sleep. Not now that I have you here at last,” she said shaking her head somewhat. That elicited a smirk from him. 

“Come, you can rest. I will still be here when you awaken.” With that, he scooted to the head of the bed, sitting against it and padded the bedding beside him. She gave him a look for a second, then shrugged. She immediately pulled off her garments, going about to find her pajamas. 

“My dear one, you are playing with fire,” he hissed from the shadows of her bed.

She chuckled as she crawled in beside him. 

“Sorry,” she said in a sing-song voice, that meant the exact opposite. 

“You will be soon enough, if you are not careful,” he growled, smirking at her. 

She felt her private area flutter at his words, her breath hitching slightly too. He saw her wide-eyed stare and shook his head, chuckling. 

“No, my dear. Not tonight.” 

She barely contained her huff of annoyance, and settled in beside him, her cheek resting on his cold thigh. His hand came down to her cheek, caressing her softly, calmingly. 

“ _ Dormi bene, mia cara, _ ” he whispered, easing her into sleep with his presence afterall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Affascinante (Italian) = Charming.  
> Insieme (Italian) = Together.  
> Straordinario (Italian) = Extraordinary.  
> Dormi bene, mia cara (Italian) = Sleep well, my dear.
> 
> So, what did you think? I would love to hear of any thoughts that crossed your mind while reading this. Thank you!
> 
> -Pancakes


	4. The Nemesis Of My Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear readers! Welcome to chapter 4 of this complicated story.  
> I was supposed to have the day off today as well as yesterday, but alas, boss man called on me. So I'm posting this chapter shorter than I intended for it to be.  
> I do find it challenging to write, but I am pretty satisfied with the way things are going for the moment. I have a feeling this is going to be a long one.
> 
> Your reviews make me so happy! I get all warm and fuzzy inside from reading them! And that is sorely needed in these trying times. We are beginning a second lock down today, so life is yet again almost ground to a halt. Sigh. Luckily I lack no amount of hobbies to get me going. And my work of course.
> 
> Right, I'll stop waffling on. On to the story.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.  
> Diclaimer #2: Mild lemons in this chapter.  
> Any mistakes are my own, and I apologise in advance.

During the night, Bella shifted around a lot. She was not used to having another person in her bed. Aro accommodated her well though.

At one point she had moved in between his legs, her cheek resting on his thigh, the comforting feel of his other leg pressed into her back. How long she slept like that she did not know. Eventually he was lying down between the sheets too, her body pressed against his cool frame, as he held her close.

When the first light of dawn started to filter through the window, Bella woke with a slight jerk, convinced that he would be gone once more. Then she felt him at her back, his body curled around hers. She felt his strong chest pressing against her back, and his arm beneath her head, the other resting around her waist.

" _Buongiorno amore mio_ ," he murmured, his lips coming into contact with her shoulder and neck.

She hummed appreciatively as she stretched out languidly, slowly turning around to face him, her breathing deep and relaxed. He circled her body with his arms, pulling her tight against him, her face buried in his chest, his nose in her hair. She breathed in his scent, her mind swirling with thoughts of their time spent together. She wished he had taken off his shirt. She fingered the buttons at his throat, poking her fingers in between the spaces of the buttons, trying to feel more of his skin, the hairs on his chest tickling the tip of her fingers.

"Are you sure you want to take that road just yet?" He asked softly. "It may lead you to a place that you are not ready for, my dear." It wasn't a threat, merely a statement.

She gave a disappointed sigh.

"I just wanted to feel your skin," she said in a slightly suffering voice. He chuckled.

"I gathered as much. Here I am, trying to take things slow with you, but you are making that goal very difficult."

She desisted, sighing once more.

"I dreamed of you again," she said, her voice still thick with sleep.

"I am aware, you talked in your sleep again," he smirked gently.

"I seem to have become your own personal incubus," He said, teasingly, his fingers ghosting her lower back. She gave a snorting laugh, but also shivered at the thought.

"That would imply that you are not sexy, and that I do not want it," she said matter of factly, rubbing her eyes as she yawned.

He chuckled.

"Am I to infer that you find me sexy, then?" He asked innocently, looking down into her face.

She halted her movements as she realised what he had said. Then she flushed deeply.

"I do so enjoy watching you blush," he murmured, his finger dragging softly down her fiery cheek.

That only resulted in another wave of blood heating her face. He growled softly, rolling her over onto her back, as he searched out her soft cheeks with his lips, kissing them gently, tongue flicking out to taste her skin. Her breathing escalated, her mind going numb. How he was so skilled at making her breathless with desire in a matter of seconds, she had no idea. She just knew she didn't want him to stop. He slowly went down her cheek, and further, easily locating her pulse point beneath the curve of her jaw. His tongue dragged across the skin, feeling her blood beat slowly, insistently just beneath the surface.

"Thirsty?" She all but moaned.

" _Molto,_ you have no inkling of how difficult you are to resist, my dear," His voice was heavy, saturated, submerging her system like liquid, dark chocolate. Her body responded in kind, flooding her nether regions with a searing heat. She gave a soft whimper at the feeling.

"It's not as if I mind," she breathed, her white, cold fingers squeezing his shoulders almost desperately.

Despite her words, and her good intentions, she felt nervous. She knew he wouldn't harm her, it was more the fact that she almost questioned her own sanity. No person in their right mind would allow an apex hunter so near them, and here she was, practically offering herself on a silver platter. What the _hell_ was her problem? Nonetheless she knew she would allow him to have her if he so desired, because she wanted him to.

"Yet again you tempt me, my young human," he all but sighed.

"I think you are doing that to yourself already," she chided, laughing nervously. "You're the one licking my pulse. Do you enjoy torturing yourself like this?" She asked.

A dangerous chuckle emanated from him, his teeth scraping her skin, almost to the point of breaking it.

"Insolent," he murmured in a darkly, sardonic voice, his face surfacing before her.

"Tell me, my dear, do you have a death wish?" He growled, showing her his teeth in a seductive smile.

"I don't know," she said, staring at his wicked grin, mesmerised by his lips.

She fervently wanted him to kiss her. Sensing her need, he leaned in slowly, his fingers grabbing her chin gently.

"I think you do," he whispered against her mouth, just before their lips met.

Then he gave her a gentle kiss. She moaned lightly, urging him on, her fingers scrappling at his shoulders, trying to pull him closer. He granted it and deepened the kiss, expertly making her brain spin with incoherent thoughts and feelings. She barely noticed when he rolled on top of her, his body pressing against her. Only when she sensed his need pressing into her hip, did she gasp gently, her core fluttering almost painfully.

"Do you feel how I desire you?" He said, voice filled with barely restrained passion, parting from her mouth only to speak.

He allowed her no room to answer as he went in to kiss her passionately again. She could feel the bonds of his self-control straining as he breathed deeply, trying to regain his senses. A deep groan escaped him as he hastily rolled off her, laying on his back, eyes closed, hands clenched into fists at his sides. Bella sat up slowly, watching him intently. He was still breathing deeply, slowly regaining control of his body.

"Are you okay?" She asked gently.

He opened his eyes, and just then the sun burst into being, the red and orange tinge of its early rays filling the room. Aro's crimson eyes seemed to glow with an inner flame as he looked at her. She gasped softly.

"Yes," he said softly.

He closed his eyes again. She wanted to see his eyes again, however this allowed her to take in his appearance more thoroughly, as this was the first time she had seen him in such bright light. Her gaze wandered slowly down his features. She never realised how long his lashes were and she leaned in to see them more closely.

The more she looked, the more beautiful he became. She could not resist touching him, and her finger delicately traced the curve of his jaw, moving up to skim just below his lower lip, hesitating slightly, before she found the courage to drag the tip of her finger across it.

She leisurely caressed his entire face, her mouth slightly agape. He made no moves, only the gentle rise and fall of his chest, as he steadily gathered himself.

She turned her head to look at the rest of his body. She retracted her hand from his face, and hesitating, she lowered it towards his chest, fingers stretching longingly. He caught her wrist long before she could get to feel him.

"What are you doing?" His voice was low, relaxed even.

"I want to feel you," she said, her words only slightly tremulous.

His eyes snapped open. The vividness of their red colour, had her shivering, as he gazed at her implacably.

"Do you think it wise?"

"You won't hurt me," she felt assured.

"How do you know?"

"Because you would have hurt me a long time ago if you wanted to,"

"Accidents do happen," he said, watching her reaction intently.

"Not with you," She looked at his hand as it still held onto her wrist.

He followed her gaze, and he loosened his hold marginally, his other hand coming up to caress her fingers. Then he moved it to his mouth, and kissed it in the centre of her palm, holding it there for several seconds. She shuddered at his touch. Closing his eyes again, he gently placed her hand flat on his chest before letting go of her. A breath caught in her throat, and without hesitation, she began to explore him. Her fingers glided across the fabric of his shirt.

Eventually, she got impatient and began to open the button by his throat. His eyes opened again, locking on hers. He made no move to stop her however. She held his gaze as she opened the next button. He remained still. Then the next. Finally she had them all loosened, and she eagerly pushed aside the fabric, finally laying eyes on his upper body, her hands slowly roaming across his icy skin, her eyes following hotly in the wake. He was cold, and she could feel his hard muscles just beneath the skin. He watched her closely as her eyes roamed his body. Bella was completely mesmerised by his broad chest, the curly hairs covering it, and she could have spent days running her fingers through it. She was however intent on getting as much out of this session as possible, and she soon let her fingers drift down towards his abdomen. She felt him tense slightly as her fingers travelled down his stomach, aiming for the belt buckle. At this he grabbed her wrists again.

"That is quite enough, my dear," he said, his feathery voice whispering down her spine.

She sighed resignedly, making him chuckle.

She tried to get free of his grip, but he easily held her fast.

"Are you going to behave?" He asked smoothly, smirking somewhat.

She grumbled under her breath, and he pointedly raised his eyebrows at her.

"Yes, fine!" She said annoyed.

He let her go then, still smirking.

"Thank you," He said.

She got unsteadily out of the bed, stretching her body languidly, then stumbling forward, a muttered oath drifting through the air. Aro was at her side in an instant.

"Are you alright?" He peered into her face. Her eyes seemed unfocused. She squeezed them shut, trying to regain her balance.

"Yeah, I just got up too quickly, and then stretching out like that, it just made me feel woozy," She said, waving dismissively. She opened her eyes again, getting ready to take another step. Another wave of dizziness washed over her and she leaned forward slightly. Aro stepped neatly in front of her, having her forehead rest against his bare chest, his hands on her shoulders, keeping her in place.

"Steady," he said softly. "Give it time. The blood will return shortly."

She breathed slow and deep, soon regaining control and straightening up.

"I think it's because I completely forgot to eat last night. My blood sugars are probably low," She said, placing a hand on her forehead.

He nodded.

"I quite agree. You should eat something,"

"Yeah," and with that she led him downstairs into the kitchen.

A short while later she was sitting by the kitchen table, tucking into a plate of scrambled eggs and toast.

As she ate, he watched her implacably from across the table, leaning back slightly in his chair, a soft smile on his lips. Eventually she looked up at him, cheeks bulging slightly.

"What?" She asked, frowning.

He shook his head slightly.

"You eat like a _cucciolo_ ," he said, chuckling.

She frowned again, not quite comprehending, then she shrugged and continued to eat.

When she was done eating, she leaned back in her chair, sighing in a satisfied sort of way. She glanced at him, and realised he was sitting with his shirt open, leaning back in a carefree sort of manner. Her eyes traveled down his chest again, moving down the length of his abdomen, following the trail of dark hairs leading into his dark trousers. She bit her lip. As she stared, he slowly began to button up his shirt, his eyes on her face as he did so.

Huffing in disappointment, she got up, and started washing up after her food preparations. She felt his gaze on her all the while.

"When is your father returning?" He asked eventually as she was drying off the plate.

She shrugged again.

"He'll usually return on Sunday, in the afternoon,"

"So tomorrow, then," he concluded.

"I hope so," she said, putting away cutlery.

"Is he not worried for you, here alone?"

She turned towards him.

"No, why would he be worried?"

Aro got to his feet. He was so elegant, she felt like an untrained monkey compared to him. He began to stuff the hem of his shirt into his trousers.

"Does he not think you might have company with you?"

Bella laughed at that.

"No!" She exclaimed, turning around to fold the dish towel neatly on the work table.

"I don't have many friends, least of all boyfriends. Except Edward, of course," she elaborated more calmly, turning back to face him.

"You've only had one boyfriend?" He asked, frowning slightly.

"Yeah," she said, grinning in an inane sort of way. He stepped closer to her, and her face fell slightly.

"It's just, I never really met anyone who understood me," she said, her voice containing a slight tremor to it.

"I feel different from everyone, I don't do good at fitting in with others," She was rambling again. She felt like an idiot, growing all sentimental over such simple things. She felt tears sting her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, trying to disperse them before gravity got a hold of them.

He stepped even closer to her, now directly in front of her. His tall frame towering over her.

"You say this as if it is a bad thing," he murmured, his finger coming up to catch the first tear as it fell from her eye.

"It is your uniqueness that fascinates me," He spoke gently, his words bringing her comfort on a deeper level.

"Humans are compelled to fit in, and yet, I find the ones that stand out most intriguing of all,"

"But I don't stand out!" She blurted, a tone of desperate sadness in her voice.

"I am completely uninteresting, boring even," She spoke with such conviction, that he nearly smiled.

"My dear, boring is the last word I would use to describe you. Have you any idea of how many humans would react to a creature such as me? I say again, I have tasted your blood, and still you are not repulsed by me. I cannot read your mind. This has never happened to me before," He spoke earnestly.

"You are more than unique, my love, you are everything one could ask for," as he spoke he leaned down, kissing her cheekbone.

She gave a congested chuckle.

"Why do you keep saying all these nice things to me?" She asked, almost annoyed.

"I assure you, I have completely selfish, ulterior motives for doing so," he said in a low voice, continuously placing gentle kisses on her damp cheeks.

She laughed softly at that, not quite sure if he was serious or not.

* * *

He was indeed _very_ serious _._

He needed to get her back to Italy, preferably before her father returned the very next day. It was the convincing of her that was the challenge. He could not read her, so he knew nothing of what could persuade her to come with him. So charming his way in was the only thing he could think off. It did not come easy to him, though. He was used to having things his way and swiftly. Isabella Swan, as far as he knew, did not bend easily to anybody's will. And he only knew of what he had seen in Edward's and Alice's minds. Otherwise she was quite the enigma to him.

Marcus had in his own discreet way alerted Aro to the potential of the young woman. And with the knowledge he had garnered from Alice, he saw what he must do. At first he wasn't sure what to do with the knowledge. The year had passed by as he considered the matter. Finally, with the relentless pull she exerted on his mind and soul, he decided to go to her.

* * *

"So," he said slowly, looking down into her soft brown eyes.

"What do you want to do now?"

His question caught her slightly off guard.

"Um… I should probably have a shower, and then… Well, I don't know," she trailed off, thoughtfully.

"Right. Well, you should go have the shower, then," he said, taking her hand and pulling her towards the stairs.

Slightly nonplussed, Bella followed behind him, quite enjoying the feel of his hand in hers.

Entering her room again, she aimed for her closet.

"I forgot to ask what your plans for the day were," Bella said slowly, as she rummaged through her clothes for some fresh underwear.

Aro had placed himself on the bed again, plucking her favourite book from beneath her pillow, clearly intending to read it. He looked up at her words.

"I intended to spend the day with you, my dear," he said casually.

* * *

She smiled shyly at his words, and he felt a sudden urge to kiss her again. He resisted it. Barely.

After his decision to go to America, he had watched her from afar for some days, seeing how Isabella clumsily went through life. He had expected to see the girl she had been at their first encounter. What he had not expected was the young woman she seemed to have become. He pondered the change in her, noting how everyone around her seemed oblivious to it. He had then realised she was walking through life with the same air as someone with depression. Her posture reflected the way, she seemed to carry the world on her shoulders. And Aro saw what everyone could not see. He may not be able to read her mind on a touch, but he could sense her loneliness and desolation from a mile away.

As he observed her, he felt something stir within him. A feeling he had never counted on ever seeing within himself; Empathy.

He realised that he felt a certain kinship with Isabella Swan. Her mental shield, protecting her from his gift, was impacting her capacity to interact with others, much like his gift impacted every interaction he had ever had in his vampire existence. It was a gift, but also a curse and a burden. She would forever be apart, because her mind would never allow her to lower her shield to let anyone in and see her true colours. Not even her father was able to see beneath the surface. He felt the need to protect her from a life of such loneliness. With him, she might be able to lower her shield and let him in. He knew this was not an act of selflessness. No, he could not delude himself. It was pure selfishness that awoke this urge in him.

Similarly to her experiences in life, Aro would never find the true friendship and love he so craved, because everyone would be on guard, his gift tearing their mind and heart open to his gaze within seconds of meeting. With Isabella Swan, things would be different for the first time. As this realisation struck him, he suddenly found heeding Marcus' warnings much more challenging.

 _Oh, how he wanted her_. He longed to be with someone who did not pretend, to be able to touch their skin only because he desired to do so, and not because he needed to see their innermost darkest secrets. But she was _uncontrollable_. An _unknown._ He was not used to relinquishing the tight reigns he held on any aspect in his life. His desire for her soul and body came with the price of not knowing if he could ever trust her. Of course he knew rationally that she would be reliable. But to truly _know_.

That, he could never.

He knew it was something he would have to come to terms with. He had searched the vast plains of his mind, trying to see if he even had the capacity to trust, and even love. He had come out empty. It had been so very long since he had even felt such a connection, and he felt uneasy about it. It had awoken so many things in him already. With his newly found compassion for the young woman in front of him, he found that he did not want to disappoint her. Indeed, he felt a nagging guilt at what he was trying to do, fearing he was trapping her in his web, without ever being able to make her happy. He had resolved to try and accommodate her as much as he could, but old habits die hard. He was so used to going unchallenged in his everyday life, that he did not even know how he would react should she ever feel the need to challenge him. And of course she would.

She already had, in fact. Only the potential of having her love had kept his own temper at bay. Not that he grew angry easily, but he had felt a strong urge to exert his dominance as he usually would, and that would indeed have been the final nail in his coffin. He had suddenly become his own nemesis.

He had rolled up his metaphorical sleeves to keep from ruining everything before it had even started. He had realised her anger was warranted, and so he had tried to calmly explain his side of the story, without giving away too much. To his immense surprise it had worked. She had listened and understood. He didn't even have to manipulate her, or glamour her. This gentle side of him was new to him, and he knew he had to keep it at bay in every aspect of his kingly duties, because it would be seen as a weakness, and therefore taken advantage of. However, he could harness it to perhaps solidify the latent bond between Isabella Swan and himself. He wanted it, needed it to work out.

He also knew she wanted him too. He could easily read the signs of her body. If he hadn't exerted his, not inconsiderable, self-control, he would have made love to her many times over already. However, Marcus' warnings lingered in his mind.

Oh, he could have her, if he so desired. But Marcus had pointed out the fact that such acts change the relations of those involved. And not always for the better. Marcus had warned Aro to hold off, until she was ready to truly accept his proposition. Their bond was yet only just a potential, not a reality. And Aro wanted it to be a reality. With Isabella Swan, he could find peace. With that in mind, he could no longer resist her. And so he had gone to her room to see her.

That night had nearly been his ruin. Seeing her naked body splayed out before him, her hips writhing in need, and his name spilling from her lips in such needy passion had him at the edge of his self-control in a matter of milliseconds. And her scent, lingering so strongly already in the room, but now mingled with the delectable redolence of the drops of dew collecting between her soft thighs, he had nearly lost it. He had growled, and thereby awakened her accidentally. Disaster had barely been averted.

He felt his mind darken with desire again by just the thought of that night. It became increasingly difficult to stem the need within him.

Of course his thirst was also a considerable factor in the matter. He was no stranger to enduring long bouts of thirst. However, having tasted her sweet blood now, he wanted to do so again. And again. But for him to do that, he needed to have her come apart at least a few times, before he could bite her without her feeling it. If he hurt her, even unintentionally, their potential bond might shift out of place, and he would lose her. Also the fact that her sexual release sweetened her blood, making it addictive to him, was something he had to be careful with too.

Bringing her to climax was not the challenge. Indeed she responded to his touch with such power, he was quite shocked. No, it was the not fucking her part of it, that had him holding out. She added no inconsiderate amount of pressure to his self-control as well. Oblivious to his inner struggles, she seemed intent on making things _very_ difficult for him.

Of course, she could never know what he knew. Telling her would most likely ruin the fragile connection between them. He was no fool. He knew that if she knew of his dark deeds during his long existence, she would never want anything to do with him. He did not know how she would react to things if he ever got her to go with him back to his home. She _was_ human after all. Seeing the way of life they had built during the centuries might shred the delicate bond between the two of them. Yet he had no choice. Going back without her was impossible now. He _needed_ her, and, she did not yet know it as profoundly as he did, but she _needed_ him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Buongiorno amore mio (Italian) = Good morning, my dear  
> Molto (Italian) = Very much.  
> Cucciolo (Italian) = Puppy.
> 
> I would love to know what you think of this! Aro is a complicated character, and I really dove in to his traits with this one. I hope you like what I found. Pleeease let me hear your own thoughts! Thank you!
> 
> -Pancakes


	5. The Landscape Of Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo! Sooo, this chapter is finally done! I apologise for the delay again, Christmas and all that, you know!
> 
> Let me just take this opportunity to wish everyone happy holidays! I hope you are safe wherever you are reading this from.
> 
> I want to thank you all for your lovely reviews and comments! I squeal like an insane seal when I read your ruminations! I swear I am sane. For the most part at least.
> 
> I have to tell you, that from now on my updates may become very sporadic indeed. My work situation is changing from next week, and I will be getting a lot more hours. This is good for my finances, less good for my other hobbies. I love my job, so that's at least a good thing. I hope for your understanding and patience. I shall try and squeeze in as many updates as possible until then, but it ain't easy writing when so much is happening around you.
> 
> Anyways, I shall leave you to read this chapter in peace.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the plot of my fic.
> 
> Disclaimer #2: Mild smut in this chapter, and mention of blood.
> 
> Where did we leave off? A tiny reminder perhaps:
> 
> Of course, she could never know what he knew. Telling her would most likely ruin the fragile connection between them. He was no fool. He knew that if she knew of his dark deeds during his long existence, she would never want anything to do with him. He did not know how she would react to things if he ever got her to go with him back to his home. She was human after all. Seeing the way of life they had built during the centuries might shred the delicate bond between the two of them. Yet he had no choice. Going back without her was impossible now. He needed her, and, she did not yet know it as profoundly as he did, but she needed him as well.

Her face had heated at the prospect of spending the entire day in his company. A grin spread across her lips, and she contemplated her sanity yet again. 

“Will you finally be answering my questions, then?” She asked just as she located her favorite pair of jeans in the back of the closet. 

“That depends on many things, my dear,” He said placidly. 

Bella paused with a pair of rolled up socks in her hand. 

“What things?” She asked, her eyes fixed on a red blouse piled neatly on the shelf right in front of her face. 

“If you are going to behave, for one thing,” She could hear his smirk, even with her back turned towards him. 

“I always behave,” she retorted. 

“Really, my dear? So you have not been intent on seducing me, a very dangerous vampire, all this time?” He asked. She gasped softly, feeling indignation colouring her cheeks.

She spun around, flushing even more deeply as she saw his smug smirk. Before she could stop herself she had flung the socks at his self-satisfied expression. He caught them easily in one hand. She suddenly realised he was no longer sitting on the bed, but standing. His eyes fixed on the balled up garment in his hand, regarding it shortly, and then slowly he shifted his gaze to her. She gulped slightly. He walked closer to her and she instinctively backed up, her back hitting the shelves of her closet. 

“Your aim is excellent, I must say,” he growled softly, a dangerous smirk on his face. 

“Thanks,” she managed weakly, her voice a breathless whisper.

“Regardless, you should not throw things at me, my dear. It could anger me,” 

“Well, you should watch your mouth,” she fired back, her own mouth dry as he slowly prowled closer. 

“I was merely speaking the truth,” he commented, halting right in front of her. 

“That was not the truth,” She felt the lie sting as it left her tongue. 

He raised an elegant eyebrow at her, a lingering smirk playing at his lips. 

“You do not want to seduce me then?” He asked curiously, clearly not believing her. 

“Well, not this instance,” she said indignantly, sniffing slightly. 

Aro leaned in close, his lips almost touching hers. Her breath caught in her throat. Another gulping sound ensued from her. 

“Do not lie, my dear Isabella. It is unbecoming,” He said in a silky voice, glancing down her body. 

“I sense your body’s reaction to me,” he added, breathing in deeply. 

At this, she scowled at him. 

“You are infuriating, do you know that?” She said, anger almost rising in her voice. 

“Yes,” His hand came up to caress her cheek. 

“Though, I can assure you, that you are no less of a challenge to me,” he murmured. 

Bella huffed. 

“Oh, how you must suffer!” She said sardonically. 

“At least you are able to find release on your own. I can’t seem to succeed, and even less so after what you did to me the other night!” She shivered at the thought. 

“I’m afraid you’ve quite ruined me to my own touch!” 

He very nearly growled.

“You should be careful, my dear.” His voice had darkened somewhat.

“Why?” She asked, challenging his statement.

“It’s not like you’re going to do anything, anyways. You’ve been here since yesterday, and nothing has happened. You haven’t even bitten me,” She said dismissively. His visage darkened somewhat.

“You underestimate me at your peril, Isabella,” he growled softly.

“Hardly! You wouldn’t touch me even if I gently pirouetted naked across the room, would you?” 

She didn’t have time to register his movement, as he was on her in an instant, pushing her back against the wall beside her wardrobe, pinning her in place without using so much force as to hurt her accidentally.

“Are you trying to provoke me,  _ amore mio? _ ” he asked, his slightly annoyed voice teetering dangerously on passionate. 

“I don’t know,” she breathed, realising she might have said too much. 

He very nearly kissed her then, resisting the urge only with great difficulty. Such fire in her eyes.

“Then, my dear, you are playing a very dangerous game,” he murmured, looking down into her face.

She said nothing. She felt sure he would not harm her, but even so, his proximity and his words, had her realising that he did contain a certain darkness. He had kept it well hidden from her, but she understood he too was struggling to come to terms with this new situation. 

Struggling might be the wrong word for it. He was clearly torn, that much was obvious. 

“What are you not telling me?” She whispered. 

He looked at her for a long moment, then sighing deeply he said; 

“ _ Non puoi saperlo _ .” She did not understand the words, but she understood his inner struggle alright. 

“If you want me to go with you back to Italy, you’re going to have to give me something. I can’t just travel to Italy on a whim,” she said, frowning, completely ignoring the part of her brain that whispered she had already done so a year or so ago.  _ Shush! _

“You need to communicate with me,” She added. 

He was still pinning her against the wall, but now he stepped back slightly, peering into her earnest face. He knew she was right, however doing so meant that he would have to open himself to her. He had never felt quite so vulnerable. How easy it was for him to forget how everyone had their soul laid bare to his gaze at his touch, and here he was, hurting at having to do the same for her. 

He gently grabbed a hold on her chin and tilted her face upwards, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss, relieved that she did not deny him. Releasing her, he leaned his forehead against hers.

“It is not…. Easy for me to do this,” he finally said, his eyes closed. She said nothing, only waited for him to continue.

“I rarely relinquish control in any given situation, yet here I am, completely and utterly unable to control you. That, however, is not the worst part. I find I am unable, or less able at least, to control myself around you. I have never felt such a compelling pull towards a human.” He paused, opening his eyes to look into her face. She was listening raptly. He sighed, bracing himself.

“I felt compelled to find you, my dear, because my brother Marcus has shown me your potential.  _ Our potential, _ to be precise. It is not yet certain, but he has seen our latent bond,” Aro tried to explain it as carefully as he could, noting her every reaction. She was frowning slightly. 

“Our bond?” She asked, puzzled. 

“Yes. Marcus feels that, if we play our cards right, we could be mates. The fact that I asked for your hand and you gave it to me, solidified a new kind of bond. He told me that if it is combined with a mating bond, then it would be potent indeed,” Aro said. 

“This is the reason that you feel such a pull towards me, and I towards you. We would be, not just mates, but… Soulmates,” he added finally. 

They were both silent for a long time as she pondered his words. Finally he looked down at his feet, finding it increasingly unnerving to be looking into her dark eyes, and not being able to know her innermost thoughts. He inhaled deeply, savouring the sweet smell rising from her warm skin. He looked up at her again as she placed a hand on his cheek. 

“I want you,” she whispered. 

“You desire me, my dear. That is not quite the same,” he explained, his voice tender. 

She shook her head slightly. 

“It’s more than that,” she whispered. Her eyes travelled the contours of his face. 

Not knowing what to say, he instead kissed her tenderly on the lips. Pulling back slightly, he looked intently into her eyes again, gauging her response shortly, then he kissed her again, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss, that soon had them both clinging to each other. 

She responded eagerly to him, and he stepped closer again, pinning her against the wall, pressing the length of his body against her, groaning softly, feeling his frustration at his lack of ability to read her mind. She was like an open book in many aspects, and yet he seemed unable to fully connect with her. Simultaneously he relished the challenge in getting to know her in this way. How fitting it was, that she would be the special someone he was going to have to fight for. Furthermore, he was going to have to fight himself to keep a hold of her. Nothing would ever be as it used to be. How much he had already tried to change to accommodate her, his brown eyed  _ piccolo passero. _

She was soon moaning lustily against his lips, the noise sending a hot bolt of desire through his body. He was already achingly hard with need for her. 

He released her lips, trying desperately to compose himself, feeling like he was on a slippery slope, utterly unable to get his footing back. 

“We should stop,” he said in a low voice, his fingers holding her shoulders firmly in place, so she couldn't lean forward. 

“Why? she all but whined, clearly wanting to go on. He nearly smirked at the petulant tone in her voice. 

“I don’t think I will be able to stop if we proceed,” he said. 

“Then don’t,” she countered, clearly not thinking straight. A soft chuckle came from him, as he stared disbelievingly at her, not quite sure if she was insane or just willfully going for what was dangerous. 

She gave a deep sigh.

“You can’t just leave me like this, Aro. Not again. Every time you touch me, you set me on fire, and it needs quenching, which I am unable to do. This back and forth is killing me!” She said, her voice filled with a desperate note. 

_ Insane then _ , Aro mentally noted. But despite his better judgement, despite Marcus’ warnings, Aro went to capture her mouth again, his lips attacking hers in a ferocious kiss, becoming increasingly untamed. 

His hands roamed her body, pulling at her waist, trying to feel her as much as possible. No longer satisfied with the fabric separating his fingers from the direct feel of her soft skin, he swiftly yanked her blouse over her head, his lips descending on her throat, his cold kisses setting her body ablaze, her skin prickling as his cold breath swept across the surface. He made his way downwards soon encountering her bra. Impatient, he pulled it downwards, her breast pulling free of the material, the cups resting beneath them now. He looked up into her face briefly, before he slowly licked the skin between them. She gasped softly, which was turned into a sharp whimper as he suddenly pulled a nipple into his cold mouth, giving it a gentle tug. Using his fingers, he pinched the other nipple until it was a hard nub. She was writhing against him now, moaning wantonly, her entire being eager for more. 

Aro knew he was treading on thin ice by now, his desire for her having the reins for the moment. He felt her fingers grabbing onto his shoulders, squeezing in a desperate attempt to get him to continue. He kept his focus on her breasts a while longer, thoroughly enjoying the sounds he could elicit from her, his eyes travelling the landscape of her curves slowly. He did however place his hand on her, cupping her sex gently through her pajama bottoms. She gave a harsh jerk, groaning. The soft feel of her nipple in his mouth immediately grew hard as it puckered into a tight peak, clearly asking to be suckled more, and so he did. He massaged her gently between the legs, allowing her to practically dry hump his hand, her hips rolling and writhing as she tried to find a rhythm that suited her.

He felt her flesh heat as she grew impatient for more, her hips rocking more and more freely, desperately searching for more friction, the feel of his hand through her pajamas not quite enough. He pulled at the drawstring holding the trousers up, loosening it, swiftly having them pulled down and off her, his fingers thereafter travelling up the length of her soft legs, coming to a halt at her hips, holding her in place somewhat as he kneeled in front of her. 

Glancing up at her, he saw her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. He smirked gently, focusing on the apex of her thighs. Her scent had him nearly drop every ounce of his self-control. He wanted to yank off her knickers and bury himself deep within her sweet heat, consequences be damned. He could easily fuck her right here, against the wall. She would most likely not even object, if the damp spot on the seat of her knickers were any indication to go by. Instead he composed himself, kissing her thighs wetly, slowly, scraping his teeth across the skin. She groaned, wriggling somewhat, desperate for him to home in on her sweet spot. He pressed the heel of his palm against her, cupping her mound, pushing gently upwards. A harsh cry rent the air as the palm of his hand rested against the hood of her clitoris, and she panted sharply, rolling her hips in response, trying to ride his hand to completion. He felt her inner muscles clench several times, she was so close already. He desisted and removed his hand from her and she actually growled. 

“Patience, my love, it will come in due time,” he murmured huskily. Then he licked the seat of her knickers on the outside, swiping his tongue from bottom to top in a broad stroke that ended with a gentle brush at her still covered clit. She gave a yelp of surprise, her fingers clenching his shoulders so hard, he feared she would break them. Chuckling gently at her reaction, he pulled the thin fabric tight, flattening it against her flesh, then he licked her again. And then again. 

She groaned and her fingers soon hooked beneath the elastic band, intending to pull the delicate material down, so he could have direct access to her. 

“No,  _ amore mio _ ,” he admonished, grabbing her wrists gently, impairing her movements in an instant. 

“I am barely controlling myself as it is, if you remove this barrier, flimsy as it is, your inexperience be damned, I will have you right here against this wall.” His words made her give a violent shudder, he could practically hear her bones rattling against each other. 

“Is this some old fashioned notion, that we should wait until marriage?” She hissed through gritted teeth. 

He rose up before her, his dark gaze on her face. 

“Do not say such things, my dear. I will gladly have you, feeling your sweet heat wrap around me as I penetrate you over and over again.” At his words, she shuddered violently again. As he spoke, he pushed his trapped erection directly against her core, letting her feel just how much he wanted her, eliciting another mewl from her. 

“But the timing is not right. Until then, allow me to pleasure you in a way that keeps us both from ruining things, will you?” 

She sighed resignedly and nodded shortly. As long as he would just get on with touching her. And so, still holding onto her wrists so as to keep her from doing anything impulsive, he got down in front of her once more, his face level with her sex. He could hear her blood as it pounded in her veins, her breathing rasping from her, as she awaited his next move. 

Using his lips, he ever so gently nibbled at the spot, where he knew she needed it the most. He prodded at it with his tongue, easily locating her erect clit through her knickers. Her pelvis tilted sharply at the feeling, her legs nearly giving way. He sensed her trembling muscles as she fought to keep herself upright as his ministrations sent her further down the rabbit hole of insanity. Even through the fabric of her knickers, he could sense the heat of her and he so dearly wanted to pull the thin material aside and taste her sweet nectar directly. 

Aro knew instinctively however, that if he did so, he would not be able to stop himself from simply shoving himself inside her hot body. So instead, he pulled the fabric taught, stretching it over her mound, and manipulated her hot flesh through it, gently coaxing her along the winding path of passion. She was leaning heavily against the wall, unable to move much, because he was pinning her arms in place at her sides. The way his lips worked on her however was so delicious she could hardly complain. She could feel the fabric grow more wet by the minute, whether it was her juices drenching it or his doing, she did not know. It was soon slipping across her sensitive flesh with the movements of his lips and tongue, creating a delicious friction, that she felt pulling at something deep inside her. Something raced up her spine, tingling her scalp, and she jerked sharply against the wall, her back thumping somewhat against it, as she felt a searing heat flood her core, her insides feeling like hot, molten lead, heavy with a sweet ache. Sensing how close she was, he wrapped his lips around her clit, suckling it gently through the soaked fabric. She gave a sharp whimper, panting harshly, her frame growing rigid, breath caught in her throat. He repeated the move, but now also swiped his tongue across the stiff, swollen nub, the gentle flutter along with the suction sent her flying, and she exploded forcefully against his mouth, her husky cries of ecstasy bouncing off the walls of her room. He held her as she shuddered against him, sensing her heartbeat through her skin. Bella’s body was tingling fiercely, and she felt herself slump as the last wave of pleasure rolled through her nether regions. Then she seemed to deflate somewhat. 

Aro got to his feet, slowly, standing in front of her, breathing rather faster than usual. 

Her eyes opened sluggishly as she looked up into his face. A lazy smile spread across her lips and he kissed her gently, before stepping back, allowing her space. She felt completely boneless, but somehow managed to rearrange her muscles so she could stand without simply crashing to the floor. That had been quite a climax and her body was completely filled with lassitude, not in the mood to move. Finally she was able to focus, seeing his face clearly. His head was tilted slightly to the side and forward, watching her curiously as she blearily stepped closer to him. He awaited what she was going to do. She felt emboldened and stepped closer again, boldy placing her hand on the front of his trousers, quite easily feeling his erection through the soft fabric. As she felt him, she kept her eyes locked on his, he made no move to stop her. She tried to get a good feel of him, but felt frustrated with the clothes separating her from touching him fully. She began to unbuckle his belt, and his hands immediately caught hers, easily halting her efforts. 

"That is enough, my dear," he said in a low, rough voice. He could see the disappointment welling up in her eyes. 

"Why can't I touch you as well?" She asked, irritated. 

"Because, it would be unwise at the moment," he said huskily.

"Besides, you were going to have a shower, remember?" She scowled at him, and he, as always, stared implacably back at her. 

"You can't avoid me forever," she said loftily, stepping around him, to get ready for her shower. Giving him an impish look over her shoulder, she bent down, simultaneously hooking her fingers in the waistband of her drenched knickers, then she pulled them down her legs, giving him plenty of opportunity to see her naked and bent over from behind. Aro nearly lifted his eyes to the heavens, praying for strength, unfortunately it was already too late, as his body reacted on instinct. He had her on the bed long before he could stop himself, easily insinuating himself between her legs, pushing against her still throbbing core. He kissed her passionately, a low growl emanating from the back of his throat.

"Have you quite lost your mind,  _ carissima _ ?" He asked, his voice darkening by the second. She said nothing, she was still reeling from being planted so firmly on her bed, and then kissed senseless in seconds, she had barely caught her breath. Suddenly she felt his cold fingers grazing her mound, sliding through the curls there, slowly moving downwards. She gave a low cry as his fingers dragged across her still engorged clit, feeling her insides tighten at his touch. As he hovered above her, he deftly got his placket open, his erection springing forth. He looked into her eyes, as he placed her slightly trembling fingers on his hard length. He gave a harsh exhalation as he felt her grip him, his eyes closing briefly as he fought for control. He ached so much. He briefly pondered the wiseness of what he was about to do, but it was swiftly pushed aside, his baser instincts taking over as soon as her fingers closed around him. He gently showed her how to move her fist up and down his length, and she soon copied him. Then he placed his hand back between her legs, caressing her puffy folds, slowly moving up and down in tandem with her moving hand. At his cold touch, she squeezed him slightly, making him grunt harshly, his hips jerking slightly forward. 

Doing his damndest to focus, he prodded her sensitive flesh, easily gaining access between her inner labia, collecting her natural lubricants, then moving upwards, flicking her clit lightly, spreading her juices all over it, moving in torturously slow circles. She flung her head back, a soft gasp coming from her as he carefully entered a single digit into her trembling heat. Her hips rose off the bed to meet him as he penetrated her, thrusting in before slowly pulling back out. Her movements on his cock grew more erratic as he slowly entered her again, and then again. He tentatively added a second finger, feeling her inner muscles clamping down on them as he bottomed out within her, the heel of his palm grazing her clit. She spread her legs to give him better room, and he soon increased his pace, feeling her body beginning to tense and tremble. 

None of them spoke. The only sound was the wet manipulation of her flesh as he fingered her, and their laboured breathing. She found this entire encounter wildly erotic, and did her damndest to not let him down, moving her hand as rhythmically as she could. Something cold slid down the back of her hand, and she dragged her thumb across the tip of his penis, feeling beads of slippery precum. She spread it around, and then moved her fist up and down the length of him again. He reciprocated perfectly, grinding his hand against her clitoris, curling his fingers upwards to an area that nearly had her seeing the stars. He was thrusting his hips now, his cock sliding eagerly through her fist, his frame growing slightly rigid, a deep groan floating from his chest. 

The vision of him coming apart like this had her shuddering beneath him, and a searing bolt of pleasure flashed through her as she quite suddenly exploded onto his questing fingers, his release simultaneously spurting forth, erupting from the tip of his cock and landing on her lower abdomen and breasts. 

She had barely returned from her climax, before he kissed her deeply, passionately, then he moved to her jaw, all the while his hand continued to pleasure her. She sensed his motive, and easily angled her head, so he could gain access to her throat. He nibbled her skin gently, growling softly as she moaned at the feeling of his fingers thrusting into her over and over, and his lips and tongue laving attention onto her throat. He placed his thumb on her clit and circled it a few times, then he mashed his hand flatly against it, his fingers thrusting into her twisting slightly as they rubbed against that spongy area inside her. Her body was trembling so hard, that the bed trembled with her. Aro crooned against her skin, encouraging her, giving her the final push, and she crashed over the edge, a hoarse cry rent from her. Just then he sank in his teeth, drinking down her sweet plasma, the essences of her release swirling inside him. He was so eager he nearly spilled the precious drops onto her pillow. They rolled down her neck, seeking to kiss gravity by the shortest route. He hastily caught them with the tip of his tongue before they could be absorbed by her pillow.

Then they both slumped. Bella felt like sleeping, the comforting weight of him pressing her into the mattress. Aro enjoyed the feel of her soft body beneath him. His mind was already starting to berate himself for nearly losing control again. He knew he would not be able to resist her much longer. Only one solution remained. Having her agreeing to go with him. Otherwise he would have to endure the unendurable and go back without her for the time being. He knew he could no longer stay in her presence safely. Even now, after his recent release, her naked body almost tempted him too much. He would give her the rest of the day, if she had not decided by then, come morning he would have to leave her. He felt a tightening in his chest at the thought, and he raised his head to look into her face, intending to ask her once more. 

"I think we both need a shower now," she murmured sluggishly, yawning widely, not registering the look of pained consternation on his face. The words lodged in his throat and he merely chuckled, and kissed her delicately on the mouth. He could see she was in no fit state to think clearly at the moment. Later then. A shower would most likely help. 

"I think you are right," he concurred, and with that he got up, pulling her with him, to drag her out into the bathroom.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Amore mio (Italian) = My dear  
> Non puoi saperlo (Italian) = You cannot know  
> Piccolo passero (Italian) = Little sparrow  
> No, amore mio (Italian) = No, my love  
> Carissima (Italian) = Dearest
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it only was an excuse to write some smutty goodness. Thanks for reading, and feel free to let me know what you think.  
> -Pancakes


	6. Grasping The Thorny Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sooo sorry for the delay on this chapter. It was quite a difficult one to write, weirdly enough. But things are starting to come together by now, so lets see where it takes us! 
> 
> I want to thank everyone for your comments and nice words. I enjoy every single one of them! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot bunnies.

Aro stood on the edge, watching the ocean as it continuously crashed against the shore beneath him. The air swirled around him, even lifting some of the sea foam up into the air before him. It danced around him, looking for all the world like dirty snowflakes. His black hair whipped around his face as the breeze swooshed past him. 

He could still smell Isabella on his person. Her scent seemed to have penetrated his very skin, even though that would be quite impossible. Another thing he had not counted on was how disarmed he seemed to have become by her. Despite his deepest, most brutal nature, some of her gentle character and the innocence of her seemed to have polished his rough edges right off, and they had barely spent any time together. Even when he put this into consideration, he felt certain that things were far too dangerous for them to be in such close proximity. Not yet at least. The problem of course, was how utterly drawn to her he was. He knew he could not stay away for long. Not just because of the special circumstances, but because he would not feel she was safe with him gone. The contradiction was that she would not be safe with him near her either. His jaw was clamped tight as he struggled to find peace in his decision to leave. While he was gone anything could happen to her, and he needed to monitor her movements in his absence.

He needed to make absolutely sure that nothing would happen to her. He felt a niggling of anger flash through him. Everything that he ever wanted was just within his grasp, but to take it too soon, would be her downfall. Waiting too long would be his. He pondered for a brief moment if he was actually as insane as many thought him to be. As old as he was, a few feathers were bound to fly off the bird. This made him chuckle softly. He had no illusions as to what impressions he had left during the centuries. Truth be told he often found himself slightly bored with the tedious functions of The Volturi. Every day was the same, Vampire trial after vampire trial. Anyone would be a bit bored with that. His boredom had resulted in this more or less unstable impression. Of course he had discovered that his actions only helped to bestow fear in those that opposed his rule. And so, he had kept at it.

Not that he could complain about the power they had asserted over the rest of the vampire world, or course. Especially the Rumanians. He needed to keep a tight hold of things. If they sensed the slightest weakness in him, they would move in for the kill. They had tried it before. It would only be a matter of time before they discovered his weakness for the girl. He had seen it. The more he stayed near her, the more in danger she became. He did not like the idea of leaving Isabella behind, vulnerable to his enemies. He gritted his teeth. What choice did he have? He could only hope that help was on its way. He would know if she was trustworthy, fortunately. He felt a tinge of regret at dragging her into his mess. He of course had to keep her in the dark about much of the things that were going on. 

His black cloak rustled gently, but it was not quite enough to drown her soft footsteps as she neared him. He waited silently for her to speak, but she did not. She was probably weary of him, uncertain what he wanted with her. He knew she would come to him. His intentions would have been evident in her visions.

"Alice," He turned around to face her, his back to the roiling ocean. 

“Thank you for coming,” he spoke softly, trying to keep his voice even, free of any emotion. His mind however, felt much like the sea behind him. Churning like the inner workings of an active volcano. 

She hadn’t changed much since the last time he had seen her. She was short but fierce. He sensed her consternation at his presence. She was in a defensive crouch, knees bent slightly, ready to run at any moment.

“I am not going to hurt you,” he said softly. 

Despite his words, she advanced cautiously, checking her surroundings both physically and mentally, waiting for any sign of danger. He realised how she must fear the Volturi. He also realised he suddenly felt less proud of that fact. He very nearly frowned as he was struck by the realisation. What in the world was happening to him? Tucking that inner conversation towards the back of his mind for later perusal, he slowly stepped closer to her. 

"I need your help, Alice,” he said earnestly. She said nothing, but her golden eyes fixed on his face. 

“I know that you have been tracking me,” he added without a trace of animosity in his voice. 

“I also suspect that you have kept many of the details hidden from your family, otherwise they would know of my presence here,” He stepped a little closer. The dark night swirled around their bodies. They, however, remained unmoved by the darkness.

“I need your help, Alice,” he repeated. 

She straightened up somewhat, looking at him. 

“I know, you know. I saw it in your visions last year,” he continued, feeling a slight consternation at her continued silence. 

“Things could still change, it may not happen,” she said, her lilting voice carried to him by the wind. 

He regarded her solemnly for a long moment. 

“Do you truly still believe this? Or is it your hope that it may change?” He watched her, as she bit her lips slightly. 

“I know you would see me coming here, to this place,” he indicated the outcrop they were standing on, looking out over the sea.

“You knew of my intentions for us meeting. If you did not want to help me, you would not have come to me, is that not right, Alice?” 

She said nothing for a moment, and he waited patiently. Finally she sighed. 

“What do you need from me, Aro?”

* * *

Inwardly, he gave a relieved sigh. Reluctant though she seemed, he knew she would not object to his plans for Isabella. She must have seen everything before it even happened. 

He stepped a little closer again, lifting his hand in an inviting sort of manner. 

“Will you allow me to confirm what I suspect so far?” He asked her, his white hand waiting, almost glowing in the dark. 

She hesitated, but then stepped forward, placing her own hand in his. He inhaled sharply as he took in every thought he had already seen, skirting them to see the new ones she had had in the last year or so. At the time she had been more worried about getting home, and the feelings had immersed his senses. Now he truly sensed her level of unease as he coasted her mind. Her visions had changed marginally. But not enough. He needed to do something. He let go of her hand, and stepped back, bowing lightly. 

“I have been trying to convince Isabella to come back with me to Italy these last couple of days. Unfortunately, she has not agreed. I cannot force her, that would of course ruin everything. Neither can I stay any longer to try and convince her.” 

Alice scrutinised him. 

“Why can’t you stay?” She asked abruptly. He halted his words, and gave an exasperated sigh. 

“You know why,” he chided softly. She remained silent. He sighed again.

“Things have been more difficult than I anticipated. She is…. Difficult for me to resist much longer. The more time I spend with her, the more demanding our bond becomes. She is feeling it too, though she does not realise what it is.” He paused, peering at her through the darkness. When she said nothing, he persisted.

“You know what will happen if I stay. Marcus warned me of the risks, and you must have seen it more clearly these last couple of days than ever before.” He began pacing as he spoke, his frustration at the situation bubbling to the surface. 

“I have seen a lot of things, and what you fear may not come to pass. You’re stronger than you think, Aro.” He shook his head, his mind filling with her visions of the future, as he thought it must become, if he was not careful.

Alice persisted.

“This struggle that you feel, would be easier if you dared open yourself up to her. Your destiny is already entwined together by your actions. You know that. Bella will have to know eventually.” She stepped closer as she spoke, her voice urgent. 

“You don’t have to leave.”

Aro gave a sad laugh. He felt his chest tighten as he said the words. Leaving was the one thing he could not do, and yet he knew he had to.

“But I do,” he said, looking down at his hands. “I am unable to connect with her as I need to at the moment. I will only harm her if I stay. I feel it coming closer every minute I spend with her. I know that you do too. When I return home, I will seek the counsel of my brothers. They will help me be better prepared for this. For her,” he added softly, knowing that Alice would not argue if he mentioned Bella. 

Alice said nothing. She knew she could not change his mind. She had seen it after all.

“I have one request, if you would please be so kind,” He said, his voice only slightly thicker.

“Yes,” she answered. Even though he knew she had already answered, her gift enabling her to know what he wanted, he voiced the words anyway.

“Will you please keep an eye on her for me? Keep her safe. However, do not tell her of these matters. Perhaps in your own words try and make her understand why I left?” 

“Only you can make her understand, Aro. But, I will look after her for you. But please come back as soon as you can. There will be much to rebuild for you, when you return,” she said, crossing her arms across her chest. 

He said nothing, but nodded stiffly. He knew he might ruin things by leaving his young human behind already. But the stakes were far too high, and he could no longer risk it. What he had not told Isabella, what he could never reveal to her, was the visions he had seen through Alice. Their potential bond was a prize he had not yet obtained, and he was already so close to losing it forever. For both their sake, he had to stay away. 

In his heart, he knew that she could either be his salvation. Or he would be her destroyer.

In her eyes, he saw that Alice recognised the horrible truth as well.

  
  


* * *

“Welcome back, Brother,” Caius said loftily, glancing up from his book, as he noted Aro’s presence as he marched closer. 

Aro neglected to greet him back, but went straight to his question. 

“Where’s Marcus?”

“He’s where you will always find him these days. The gardens,” Caius said, peering intently at his brother’s dark features. 

“Did you get your precious human?” He asked, as Aro spun around to go find their third brother. 

Aro’s voice was dark with fury as his answer came floating softly through the air, barely louder than the steps he took as he marched away.

“I did not.”

* * *

“I see you come alone,” Marcus noted gently. 

“Brother, she is resisting my advances,” Aro hissed ominously, halting beneath the old birch trees. Aro had found Marcus standing in the corner of the vast gardens, where his mate lay buried. Aro glanced at the old gravestone, then he began to pace. 

“Am I disturbing you?” He asked shortly. Marcus did not answer immediately. He had a peculiar smile on his face. When Aro glanced at him to check if he had heard his question, he finally answered. 

“You are not disturbing, no,” he said, softly. 

“She is resisting you? That is quite impossible. You should be entirely irresistible to her. Are you sure she’s the one resisting?” Marcus faced his brother again, who gave an impatient gesture. 

“I  _ am  _ irresistible to her, and she to me. But she is resisting going back with me. I have asked her openly, but she will not come. I fear she will not want to come at all. I do not know what to do,” 

Marcus’s impassive face became less impassive. 

“She is drawn to you, but does not wish to come with you?” He asked puzzled. 

Aro nodded, confirming the statement. 

“I have tried everything!” he added desperately, still pacing back and forth. 

“Brother,” Marcus said patiently. With reluctance, Aro halted his pacing and turned to face Marcus. The latter shook his head gently. 

“You have not tried everything, Aro.” He placed a hand on his shoulder. Aro glared at him. 

“Do you want her to be your mate?” Marcus asked genuinely.

“I do want her to be my mate. But I do not-” Marcus interrupted him.

“Then, you need to be open with her. Tell her what is happening,”

“I cannot do so, brother. You do not understand! I cannot read her mind. She is an enigma to me, and it makes it hard for me to just open up and bare my soul to her, especially when I do not know of her thoughts. She will despise me! Not just for what I am, but for the price she must pay to be with me,” He spoke desperately. 

Marcus’ crimson gaze was in the distance for a moment. Then they focused back on Aro’s face. 

“Brother, he who dares not grasp the thorn, should never crave the rose. You will have to take risks,  _ especially  _ if you want it to be her.” 

They were silent for a long moment, standing shoulder to shoulder. A gust of wind made the large birch tree’s leaves hiss and whisper. 

“She is dreaming of me, Marcus,” Aro finally said softly. 

Marcus’ head swivelled around to watch his brother’s profile. 

“Is she?” He asked curiously. Aro nodded, his eyes fixed on the gravestone of his sister. 

“She has been dreaming of me almost every night since our last encounter, a year ago,” He added. 

Marcus pondered that information for a moment.

“What is she dreaming?” he inquired, following Aro’s gaze to the gravestone. It was green with lichen. The text was barely decipherable. 

Aro sighed deeply, feeling his body tense as he thought of Isabella once more, writhing on the bed, her soft moans drifting through the shadows, her scent alone driving him to the brink of insanity. 

“It seems to be dreams of passion. She sees us together. Not coupling exactly. I am apparently pleasuring her. Over and over.” Aro felt Marcus turn towards him. He glanced sideways, and was met by a more direct stare than he had ever seen before from Marcus. Not since the death of Didyme. 

“You mean sexual dreams?” He asked urgently. 

Aro nodded. Marcus gave a soft chuckle. 

“Well, I never,” he said softly. Aro frowned at this most unusual reaction. 

“What is it?” He asked finally, impatient, when Marcus said nothing more.

“Brother, you are the best soul reader I know, yet somehow you remain willfully ignorant of certain subjects,” Marcus said, almost a hint of humour in his voice. 

“Excuse me?” Aro snapped, almost tempted to grasp his brother’s wrist to get answers by force. 

“Aro, if she is indeed dreaming of you in such a fashion, it means you are already strongly bonded. I guessed your bond would have manifested even during your separation, but this means that she must be wanting it to happen. She wants you. She will eventually come to you. Her dreams will not disappear. The pull she feels, will become increasingly difficult to resist, until she will feel like she is pulled in two. The next time you visit her, she will become yours,” Marcus said, speaking hastily. 

“Though, I should warn you. She will be very angry, whenever you choose to show up,” He added, chuckling. 

Aro glowered at him. 

"Well, I am certainly glad that you find my predicament amusing!” He spat, sniffing somewhat. 

“You are saying that our bond is strong enough for us to consummate it? How can that be?” He was genuinely incredulous at this news. It certainly explained the urgent pull of her, that kept tugging at his soul. 

“Yes, you are both ready. As I said, she must have felt attracted to you from the start, otherwise her soul would have resisted it more. As it appears now, she must have given in straight away. Remarkable, really. She must have told you of her feelings, Aro. She would not have been able to stop herself,” Marcus said, smiling softly. 

Aro’s mind flashed back to his shared moment, when he had her pinned against the wall. 

“She did say; I want you,” he said softly. 

“I did not believe her,” he added, almost ashamed of himself. 

He could slap himself for this. How foolish he had been. Of course she had spoken truthfully. This was a perfect example of how his inability to read her had become such a burden for him. He needed to find a way to not rely so much on his gift, when he was around her. It would otherwise destroy everything.

“She meant it, I assure you, brother,” Marcus simply said.

Aro mulled it over for a long moment, and only the gentle wind hissed at his conscience. 

“Be that as it may, I cannot just have her at the first opportunity. I need to prepare her for this. There is also the not inconsiderate matter of the Romanian coven,” he said, feeling cold at the visions Alice had bestowed upon him. 

“Ah, yes, they will have to be dealt with as well. Especially if you are intent on bringing the girl here. News will travel even faster then.” 

“Agreed,” Aro said softly, pondering if he should abstain from bringing her home until their enemies had been dealt with. He sighed. That would be a difficult choice. The Romanians had eluded them for centuries already. Finding them was not the hard part. Demetri had no trouble acquiring their position. It was killing them that had proved troublesome. They were both unusually skilled in battle. Despite everything, his guards were never able to destroy them. 

Aro almost hissed in displeasure. This entire situation was a complete nightmare. If only his young, new mate knew of the trouble she had brought along. Even so. He would not be without it, if it meant that she would be with him for eternity. He just needed to figure out how to get there. Hopefully with both of them intact. Or as intact as was possible at least.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Bella woke Sunday morning, startled awake by the sound of a car door slamming shut with a dull smack. She sat bolt upright, looking blearily around the room for Aro. He was nowhere to be seen. She frowned, but had no time to consider the implications, as the sound of the front door being opened had her out of bed in a hurry, scrambling to find her bathrobe. 

She found it at the foot of the bed in a fluffy puddle on the floor. She felt her face flush as well as her nether regions, remembering exactly how it had landed there. Her mind flooded with the images of him again, and she gasped softly as she felt a soft gush between her legs. Her hand came to her core, and she felt the tenderness there. 

The day before, they had been in each other's company, reading, talking. Eventually they ran out of words to say, their communication becoming increasingly physical rather than vocal. He had spent no little amount of time kissing her senseless, touching her, making her body respond with absurd ease. She was sure he couldn’t give her more pleasure, but she had certainly been wrong. He easily switched between kissing her for long periods of time, then he would caress her, having her come apart with his most talented hands, then simply sooth her body with soft touches, until he once more had her rise from the murky waters of tingling lethargy her previous climaxes had sent her into. 

He had remained dressed the entire time, and when she had tried to gain a glimpse of his body by trying to expose his skin, he had grabbed her wrists and held them in place above her head with one hand. The other had her distracted in mere seconds, his fingers prodding her increasingly swollen centre until she was gasping for air once more.

She heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and hurried to put on the bathrobe, refusing to acknowledge the obvious truth, that Aro was gone. 

A knock at the door, and she turned to see her father’s face. He wore a surprised look, as he realised she had just gotten out of bed. 

“Aren’t you up yet?” he exclaimed, glancing at the watch standing on her desk. She followed his gaze. It said 3:36 PM. 

“No, I stayed up late and watched movies,” she lied unconvincingly. His frown deepened. 

“You never do that,” he commented dryly, sceptically watching her. 

“Yeah, I know. Alice was here. We talked a lot too,” Bella said, inventing wildly. 

“Oh,” he said, his face going smooth. 

“Right,” he scratched the back of his head. 

“Well, I guess I should unpack,” he murmured, before gently closing the door behind him. Bella blew out her cheeks, shaking her head slightly at her lousy lying. 

“You are a terrible liar,” a clear bell-like voice said behind her. Bella nearly flew out of her skin with fright. Spinning around, she saw none other than Alice standing beside the window. 

“Alice!” she hissed at the vampire, trying to get her heart to calm down again. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked puzzled. Alice had a look on her face, Bella had never seen before. She immediately sensed that Alice knew. Bella, feeling slightly panicked, stepped towards the tiny woman. 

“Alice, no, it’s not what you think,” 

“Bella, Aro sent me,” Alice said bluntly, interrupting any explanation Bella could come up with. Bella froze, mid sentence. Her face fell.

“He left, didn’t he?” she asked crestfallen, feeling her stomach sink. Alice nodded, her face pinched with regret. 

“He’ll be back,” she said, though her voice held no confidence. 

“Alice,” Bella said softly. “What’s going on? I am so confused,” Alice stepped close and hugged her. 

“I know. I am too, Bella. This is complicated. He didn’t want to leave, but something came up,” Bella extracted herself from the hug, glaring slightly at the tiny vampire.

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Alice. You know why he left, but you are keeping it from me. Why? Trying to protect me?” 

“Yes,” Alice said simply. Her short answer nearly made Bella laugh. 

“When did things become so complicated?” Bella said miserably. Alice opened her mouth to answer, but Bella waved her off with a grimace. 

"Yeah, I know!" She snapped, turning away. 

She began to get dressed, while Alice waited for her. 

"Listen, Bella. I can't tell you much. He asked for my help only because he knew that I had seen you together," she said earnestly.

Bella felt herself blush fiercely, and she busied herself with trying to locate a pair of socks. 

"He was merely checking to see if I'd informed my family of you," at this Bella straightened up so fast she felt a crick in her back. Rubbing at the sore spot in her lower back, she fixed Alice with a startled stare. 

"Don't worry, I haven't said anything," she said, lifting her hands, clearly trying to placate. 

"He also wanted my help to protect you," she added, her voice more cautious now.

“Protect me? From what? I’m not in any danger,” 

“Actually, you are,” Alice said blithely. “But nothing I can’t handle. For now, you just have to pretend as if everything is normal,” 

“Easy for you to say,” Bella mumbled, grouchily. 

“So, you’re going to follow me all the time?” Bella asked, frowning at the thought. 

“Yes, I suppose I am,” she said cheerily. “This is gonna be so much fun!” She added, chirping happily. 

“Hilarious,” Bella muttered. 

  
  


* * *

Bella sat sullenly in the cafeteria at her school. She was merely picking at her food, not in the least bit tempted to take a bite. Three days had passed since he had left her. Three nights with dreams of him, but this time they were never quite satisfactory. It seemed she would always wake just when he was about to tip her over the edge. This resulted in her waking up with her body humming and her nether regions burning to be touched. Nothing she did would appease her senses, and she was walking around in a perpetual state of arousal. She was furious at Aro. Now that she had actually felt his touch on her body, it was all she could think about. She felt like going after him just to smack him round the head for doing this to her. 

She huffed, realising that he would not feel her slap in the least. She felt so isolated, and left behind. She was used to being alone, the odd one out, but this was something else.

Aro had left her. Even so he walked the hallways of her mind. The problem was he had no key to the rooms. And he wanted to enter her. She sensed his desperation. His every touch was like a spell, compelling her to give him everything. Yet she was unable to do so. She scowled. He would just have to come to terms with her being the only one he could not read. She stabbed at her food, hoping against hope that he would return to her soon. 

* * *

Class had ended, and Bella walked to her car, her mind occupied by the cold one, the one that had her obsessed. She had no idea how she had gotten through these last weeks without him. She had lost count of the days since he had left. Certainly almost a month had passed. She was furious with him. He could not fathom the pain she was in. Her dreams of him were unchanged. He would still come to her in the night, his touches bringing her to insanity. Even her friends had noticed her sour mood. Despite the fact that she knew that Alice was only trying to protect her, and on Aro’s request no less, Bella had felt cloyed from the small vampire’s constant presence. Charlie had noted Bella’s annoyance with the pixie, and in his own quiet way supplied, that maybe Alice should get a hobby. Alice did not take the hint. Finally, Bella had threatened her with going to Carlisle to get her to keep a distance. Alice had not left her side for days on end and Bella was getting frustrated. Alice had acquiesced, but made it clear that she was keeping an eye on her from the distance. Bella knew there was nothing she could do about that. 

She sighed, feeling disheartened. As she glanced up to unlock her car, her eyes fell on a figure in the distance, shielded in the shadows of the trees. His dark clothes were in stark contrast to his light skin, his long dark hair, fluttering slightly on the wind. She could just make out a crimson cravat around his throat. She knew what she was seeing, but she couldn’t quite believe it. She stared for a long moment, but when she blinked, he was gone. 

_ Aro. _

  
  


* * *

He who dares not grasp the thorn, should never crave the rose, quote by Emily Brontë

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to know of your thoughts! I have been struggling so much with this chapter, so let me know if I succeeded with it. Thanks! I appreciate it!
> 
> -Pancakes


	7. Through The Forest Of Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, my faithful readers.   
> Thank you for your responses on my latest chapter. I truly appreciate your feedback! It keeps my imagination alive!  
> I'm not gonna prattle on. Please read on at your leisure.

Bella came home, slamming the door behind her. In the living room Charlie bolted upright in shock. 

“Bells?” He said, bewildered, rubbing his eyes, trying to rid them of sleep. 

She never answered but took the stairs two steps at a time and a few seconds later heard her bedroom door slam shut. 

Bella was pacing her room angrily after throwing her bag violently into the corner behind her door. Putting a hand to her forehead, she tried to think straight. Aro had definitely been there. She had  _ seen  _ him. Why had he left? She huffed in annoyance. Why hadn’t he been to see her if he was back? She halted in her steps, thinking hard, biting her lip. Coming to a decision she went back out her door, down the stairs, meeting her father halfway through the hall. 

“Bells, what’s going on?” He asked. 

“Please, I’ll come back later, dad,” she said, waving him off and stomping out the door. Charlie looked after her, scratching the back of his head. 

Bella ended up in the backyard. The low sun was suddenly peeking out through the clouds. She squinted towards the tree line, before resolutely marching towards them, hands clenched at her sides, as she neared the almost black shadows. 

She was going to force him to come and see her, by gods she would! Her face was thunderous, as it descended into shadows, as she stepped in between the trees. She walked purposefully, not exactly sure what to expect. 

After stumbling through the trees for what felt like 30 minutes, she halted, looking around, trying to listen. There was nothing but the regular sounds of a forest. Her breathing was a bit shallow as she took another turn around herself. 

“I know, you can hear me, Aro,” she said in a firm voice. 

“I saw you!” She added angrily. No answer. She walked a little further into the forest, and stopped again. 

“Why are you doing this? It doesn’t have to be this way!” She continued, her voice filled with anger. Still no answer. 

“God damnit Aro! Where are you?!” She screamed suddenly, and she felt angry tears well in her eyes. She wiped them away, taking deep shaky breaths, trying to calm herself. She scowled at the tear stains on her fingers. She never cried, and now look. He had her crying twice already. 

“Bella?” A soft voice behind her. She spun around, facing the speaker. It was Edward. 

“What are  _ you  _ doing here?” She asked, shocked to see him, trying to compose herself. 

He didn’t answer, but he stepped closer, peering into her face. 

“Are you crying?” He asked her, concerned. 

“No,” she said, hastily drying her eyes again. 

“What’s the matter?” He persisted, stepping even closer. 

“Damnit Edward, it’s none of your business! How did you find me?” she asked, cursing that her tears kept coming. 

Edward frowned. 

“Did Aro do this to you?” He asked softly. Bella stared at him. 

“What?!” She blurted, not even able to deny it. 

“Aro,” he repeated. “He left, didn’t he?” He observed her, his golden eyes roaming her face. 

Bella stared at him for a long time, her mouth open in shock. 

“How did you-?” She began in a panicked whisper.

“Alice, I saw her visions in Aro’s mind last year,” he shrugged. 

Bella said nothing, only staring at him. 

“I saw you in Alice’s mind. She saw you go into the forest. It isn’t safe for you here, Bella,” he added, speaking slowly as he always did. 

Bella glared at him. 

“It’s none of your business, Edward,” she said firmly. 

“Bella, I was worried about you too. You have no idea what kind of animals you could run into,” He said. 

“Edward, just don’t okay?! I don’t need this right now!” She said. 

Edward regarded her calmly. 

“You should go to him,” he said gently. Bella bit her lip. 

“Why aren’t you mad at me for this?” She asked, stunned at his words. 

“You should be furious with me,” she added. 

“Why would I be furious?” He asked. 

“Because!” Bella felt flustered. 

“He’s a Volturi isn’t he? Your enemy?” She elaborated. 

Edward laughed softly. 

“The Volturi are not my enemy, Bella. I can’t say that I agree with their way of life, but still. He seems to care about you,” he said. 

“How do you know?” She asked, frowning. 

“Alice,” he explained simply.

“She told you?” Bella asked shocked. 

“Not exactly, no. She can’t always control her visions, and I am very good at picking up stuff,” he said, smiling his crooked smile. Bella gave a single nod in understanding. 

“Listen Bella, things are happening now. You need to be careful with this kind of stuff. Walking into a forest unprotected is not wise.” 

She scowled at him. 

“What things?” She demanded. 

“I can’t tell you that,” he said seriously. 

“But I think you should go to him,” he added. 

A long silence stretched out between them. 

“How do I get to Italy, I haven’t any money,” she said in a low, embarrassed voice. She had been thinking of getting a job, but hadn’t gotten around to it. 

“I can help with that,” Edward said, his trademark smile back in place. Bella huffed softly. 

“I’ll pay you back,” she said, pointing an index into his face sternly. 

“I know,” he said, laughing. “I will add interests,” He added, a smirk on his face. Bella almost smiled for the first time, though her mind was still heavy with anger and confusion. 

“Come on, let’s get you back,” he said softly, tugging at her elbow. 

Bella followed behind him, her brain buzzing. So Edward knew something too. She glowered at the ground. She seemed to be the only one who didn’t know what was going on. Her inner turmoil was churning, making her feel queasy. Why did they all think they had the right to keep secrets from her? It was so unfair. 

“Would you like to get a bite to eat?” Edward asked, but she shook her head. 

“I’m not hungry,” she said mechanically. 

“Have you even been eating?” He asked, worry entering his voice again. 

“Not really,” she said darkly. 

“You should get som-” 

“For god's sake Edward, let it rest, okay?” She burst out. He kept silent, and a moment later she felt guilty for her outburst. 

“Look, sorry, I just don’t have any appetite at the moment. I got a lot on my mind,” She felt her explanation was hollow.

“It’s okay,” he said, dismissing her apology. 

They walked on in silence, and darkness slowly descended around them, the shadows deepening even further. Suddenly she felt glad that he was there, the gloomy forest pressing in around them. 

“I can’t believe you’ve known all this time,” she finally said, her voice low and embarrassed. 

Edward shrugged.

“Well, I can read minds, so I mean, it shouldn’t come as a surprise,” he said, sticking his hands in his pockets. 

“Alice would have come for you, but I was faster. She saw no reason for the both of us to come and see you.” 

They were nearing the edge of the woods, and Edward suddenly halted. 

“I think this is as far as I should go. You’re safe now, that’s what matters,” he said, his voice suddenly a bit hesitant. Bella looked up at him puzzled. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Bella,” he added, and then he was gone. She looked after him, her mouth slightly agape. 

“What the hell is going on with people?” She burst out, shaking her head, turning to walk the last meters through the trees. 

“I do believe you mean vampires, my dear,” a smooth voice suddenly said right in front of her, making her shriek in fright, her feet stumbling back. 

His hard frame caught her before she could fall all the way, and he had planted a leather glove over her mouth, preventing her from uttering a full on scream. Her wide eyes stared up into his calm face, her heart hammering wildly. 

“Hello again, dear Isabella,” Aro said, his feathery voice tip tapping its way down her spine. 

She had barely gotten over her shock, but when she did, her vision grew _dark_ with fury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the end of this chapter. I was going to post a longer chap, but I felt like this one should end here. I'm trying to build the suspense. ;)   
> Let me know what you think or guess will happen!
> 
> -Pancakes


	8. Shattering Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! I know! Sorry for the cliffie! BUT! Look at this quick update, huh? I hope that has you mollified a bit. ;)   
> I thank you humbly for your reviews! What pleasure to read them, even if you are cross with me. Lol  
> Please read on, and behold the anger of a woman. 

Aro noticed her glare, and knew instantly that she would not be as happy to see him as he was to see her. His physical relief at finally having her in his arms again was somewhat overshadowed by the murderous glower she had in her eyes. Feeling it unwise to remove his hand from her mouth just this moment, he lifted her up, and ran through the trees, seeking a clearing for her to vent her anger without attracting any humans. Her fierce gaze burned him as he ran, her eyes never leaving his face.

Finally he was able to put her down gently, making sure she was stable on the forest floor. He eased his hand off her face, and stepped back from her, waiting for her next move. She simply stared at him, rage painted her features in stark edges.

"Isabella," he began gently. She shook her head slowly, her mouth pressed together into a thin line, her chin raised in disgust.

She suddenly stalked towards him, trying to push at him, her hands landing hard in his chest. Despite her best efforts, nothing happened, his body was quite immovable. A frustrated scream hissed through her clenched teeth as she gave it her all, trying to make him feel some of her pain. When nothing happened, she desisted, breathing like an angry elephant. He laid his hands on top of hers on his chest, and she recoiled from his touch.

Marcus had prepared him for her anger, but he sensed that he had not realised just how angry she would be with him.

"Listen," he said, "I know you are angry with me," he tried, taking a step towards her, as she began to blunder around the clearing, blinded by her fury.

"NO!" She screamed, rounding on him.

"You don't know a _thing_ , Aro of the Volturi! And yet somehow, you manage to act as if you have this divine knowledge about me! Well guess what! I'm not _angry_ at you!" Her words were in stark contrast to her tone of voice. He frowned, confused.

"You aren't?" He asked, puzzled.

"I am fucking _furious_ with you! You left! You left for weeks! How could you do this to me, Aro?!" He watched as she began to develop angry tears in her eyes. He could smell the salty liquid as it rose, shimmering in her deep eyes.

His heart sank. He could not bring himself to talk, her tears were the result of his actions.

She stomped back towards him, her fists clenched. 

"You better start talking, oh king of vampires, or I swear I will-"

"Or you will what?" He interrupted, his voice rather tetchy by now. Her jab at his status had been entirely unnecessary.

"I will leave!" She shouted angrily.

"And I will never want to see you again!" She added, tears running down her cheeks as she said it.

He sensed the words had been forced from her mouth, her heart wrenching at the thought. His own heart, dead as it was, ached at the prospect of losing her.

But how could it be? Marcus had said their bond must be complete. He should be careful, not to lose his temper with her.

Aro swallowed harshly as he nodded slowly at her.

"Alright," he said, lifting his hands to calm her down.

"I left, because I had to seek the counsel of my brothers. Isabella, please understand that I did not want to leave you. I am having a hard time with this," She interrupted him with a maniacal laughter.

"Oooh, it's been hard on _you_ , has it? Do you even stop to think about how this has affected _me_?! I dream of you _every single night!"_ She intoned, a shrill, shuddering breath punctuating every word.

"Do you have _any_ idea how it is to have such dreams, and not being able to do anything about it?!"

He said nothing. He realised he had hurt her. Deeply.

"I know," he said softly after a long moment, as she fought to keep her sobs at bay.

"I am so sorry," he added quietly.

"You can stuff your apology up where the sun never shines! I want answers, Aro!" She said, her jaw was so tightly clenched, he wondered if she was in pain.

"Alright." He began to turn away from her, slowly pacing around her.

"I have hurt you," he began.

"That much I can see." She huffed loudly at this, wiping at her tears, angrily trying to make them disappear. She followed him with her gaze, her head swivelling around, as he came all the way around her.

"You must understand that I cannot read you. That is difficult for me to accept. And this makes it hard for me to trust you," She bared her teeth at him.

"How the fuck do you think normal people get through the day without your ability?! We have no choice but to trust!"

"I know," he said hastily. "I know!

"I have no intentions of lying to you, Aro. Why can't you see that?" She asked, her voice filled with anger, although he could hear the hurt breaking her voice too.

He sighed.

"I have been so foolish," He said softly, stepping closer to her.

"Yes, you have!" She confirmed fiercely. She was still glaring at him.

He gave another deep sigh.

"I confess that my brother Marcus made me see things differently. You see, I have a conundrum, Isabella," he added softly, stepping in front of her, looking down into her face. Her eyes were red from her tears, her cheeks flushed with anger.

"You are my conundrum. All this time, I have been trying to keep you safe," She scowled at that.

"I have been getting on fine without your protection, Aro! Besides, if you leaving me is what has kept me safe, then I would rather live in mortal danger! But you didn't give me that choice! You just left!" She poked him in the chest. He barely felt it.

"You can't just make decisions for everyone involved! You don't get to do that!" She added hotly.

"I have always made these kinds of decisions," he explained. "It has been my duty for a couple of thousand years."

She wasn't impressed.

"You mean as a ruler, but that is _not_ what you are to me! I am not a simple subject for you to make decisions about and command at your leisure! I will not submit to it!" She said angrily.

He looked stricken at her words. He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. Her words had him flustered, not a feeling he was used to. Of course she was right. He had to be able to distinguish between his duties and what she was to him. He had been so careless in considering her feelings in all of this, his intentions blinding him completely.

As the saying went; the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

"You are right," he said gently, letting his hand fall from his face.

"I have been unable to see your side of the matter. I am sorry. It was not my intention to hurt you, my dear." He peered into her face. Her brow was still stormy, but she seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Why am I a conundrum to you?" She demanded.

He watched her for a long moment, and she opened her mouth, probably to encourage his words, and he spoke then.

"I have this vision from Alice in my head," he said abruptly.

"The more time I spend with you, the more in danger you become. The conundrum is of course, that I _want_ to spend time with you. _Desperately_ ," he added for emphasis.

She frowned at that.

"Why am I in danger if you spend time with me?" She asked. He gave a deep sigh.

"Because, my dear, I have enemies. A lot of them to be frank. And I have very few weaknesses, but all of a sudden, you have become my greatest weakness of all," he said the words with a heavy heart.

"In Alice's visions, you will be used against me. I am at a loss as to how to protect you against all the danger I present to you. Even if I did turn you and made you into a vampire, made you stronger, you would forever more be in danger, because you are with me. I have had this situation happen before," he explained, his shoulders slumping somewhat.

"And I lost that battle," He stepped back from her again. Her expression was pure shock.

"Wait a minute!" She interjected, her words startled.

"You have had a mate before?!"

He looked at her, his heart filled with fear. This was the point of no return. Either she would accept this part of him, or he would lose her. Forever.

"Her name is Sulpicia." He said heavily.

"She is my wife,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh dear! Another cliffie. I apologize. 
> 
> Also, my stories had more than 1K views last night! Can you believe that? I was shocked when I saw it! Thank you so much for reading!  
> -Pancakes


	9. Chains of Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick update, and now I am a little late for work Enjoy!

Aro saw her complexion change faster than a traffic light. She grew pale and then her skin acquired a delicate shade of green. She gave a violent shiver. He watched her as she stumbled to the edge of the clearing and leaned on a tree and emptied the contents of her stomach.

He went to her, intending to help her, but she hastily turned around, holding a hand up to stop him.

"Don't touch me!" She said fiercely.

"Isabella, my dear-"

"I am NOT your dear!" She spat, wiping her mouth. Aro stopped, feeling his chest grow icy cold at her words.

"Will you allow me to explain?" He asked her gently.

She hugged herself, not looking at him, her mind clearly in another place.

"You had me begging," she said murmured.

"I begged you to-"

"I know," he said in a low voice.

"Do you understand now, why I did not give in, despite the pull our bond exerted on the both of us?"

She glared at him then.

"Didn't give in? You were still inside me, Aro! I let you do all these things to me, and now, you tell me, you are married?!"

She shook her head violently.

"That's not exactly showing restraint. You should have told me from the beginning!" she hissed.

He said nothing. He knew she had a right to be angry. He did not know how to get her to understand. Bella turned away from him.

"I think I would like to go home now," she said in a weak voice.

"I will take you back," he said.

"But please, allow me to explain first, Isabella,"

"No, you're not _ever_ touching me again! I will walk back myself. I don't want to see you again," she said angrily. He could tell her throat was constricted with emotion, the words wrenching painfully through. She walked passed him, aiming for the place they had entered the clearing.

"Don't be silly, it will take you hours to get back," he said, following her.

"I don't care!" She hissed.

Aro stopped following her. He felt desperation rise within him as he watched her near the shadows. He could not lose her. The words of his brother flashed through his mind.

_Grasp the thorn._

"She was taken from me," he finally said loudly.

Bella froze. He waited. She stood for a long moment, her back turned towards him, so he couldn't see her face.

He felt the pain at his words. The loss welled up in him, even after all this time.

Then Bella turned around to look at him. He saw hesitation in her eyes, and he stepped a little closer.

"My wife was taken from me," he said again, the words coming a little easier this time.

Bella stared at him, then finally she spoke.

"Is she still alive?"

"I do not know," he said softly.

She bit her lip, thinking. Aro stepped closer again.

"I am not good at opening up to anyone, Isabella. I have issues with trust. Ironically I have to trust you, and you are the only one I cannot read. My brother, Marcus, has told me in his own way, that I should not fear you,"

"Wait, you fear me?" She asked, shocked.

Aro nodded slowly.

"You are the single most scary person I have ever met," he said. It was almost painful to say these things to her. Admitting to being scared was not something he had ever done.

She gaped at him.

"Why?" She finally asked.

He stepped a little closer again.

"Because, I have to open myself to your scrutiny, and I will never know exactly what you think of me," he said, his voice sounded defeated. He loathed feeling like this.

"Why does my opinion of you matter? I am only a human," she said.

" _Mia Cara,_ " he murmured softly, now standing right in front of her.

"You are so much more than that."

They stood for a long time, just looking at each other, her head tilted back slightly, as he was so close now.

"Will you allow me to explain myself?" He asked again.

She hesitated, but then nodded. Relief flooded him, however short lived. At least she would listen. He felt a thrill run through him as he realised, he was about to tell her things of himself, that he had never told anyone, not even Marcus knew, though he knew that Marcus suspected it.

"You are of course right. I should have told you about my wife sooner," he began.

"The reason I did not tell you, is because I was afraid of losing you. I have done things that I can never undo. You see, I tried to keep my wife safe, we were indeed mates, and to keep her safe, I had her locked up, heavily guarded. I tried to keep her content, despite her limitations in her daily life. At one point, she grew resentful of me, despite the best efforts of one of my guards, Corin. She can make others feel contentment at will. I do not know why it did not work so well on Sulpicia in the end. However, Sulpicia asked me to let her be more free, to not have her locked away like a common criminal. I feared for her safety, but in the end, I gave in. She was allowed to get out. It was on one of her excursions that she was taken," Aro, stepped back, and began to pace the clearing as he spoke. Bella stepped closer, hanging on to his every word.

"I looked everywhere for her. I do not know where she is. My tracker Demetri, cannot even find her, which could indicate that she is dead. To ease my sorrow at her loss, I had Chelsea, another of my guards, break our mating bond. That was many years ago now. Sulpicia is no longer my mate. She is however still my wife, if she is still alive. The situation is complicated, as you can imagine," He said.

"You broke the bond?" Bella asked.

"How is that possible?"

Aro, glanced at her.

"It is a gift of Chelsea's. She can manipulate the bonds of others. It is very useful,"

"I bet," Bella said.

Aro nodded, thinking, still circling the clearing.

"Aro," Bella finally said, making him stop.

"I am sorry," he said, stepping over to her again.

"If you can break a mating bond, then what is stopping you from breaking our bond? Surely, I am not what you really want?" She said, her voice steady.

Aro considered her for a long moment.

"I am afraid it is too late for that, my dear. Our bond is not one that breaks. We are soul mates now. Not only mates. However, that is not my main point." He stepped even closer now, raising his hand to almost caress her cheek. He heard her heartbeat stutter, and he resisted touching her, remembering her words about not wanting him to do so. He wanted to respect her wishes, even though it hurt him to do so.

"I do want you," he whispered, his lips almost touching hers.

"You are everything I have ever wanted."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore your thoughts BTW! So fierce!  
> -Pancakes


	10. Dreams Of Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This story has me obsessed with writing at the moment. Look at me writing as soon as I get home from work, releasing another chap less than 12 hours later. I pretty chuffed with that actually!   
> I absolutely love exploring Aro like this. He's such an interesting character!   
> Short chapters works best at the moment, so sorry about that. I know it's frustrating, but I can write 1500 words in about 2 hours. 5000 words takes a lot more effort unfortunately. I will get there again. I hope for your patience!   
> I made it to work on time despite my ill planned chapters. And a costumer had the absolute most adorable puppies, only 4 weeks old. Brand new retrievers melting my heart. (They were carried all the time, don't worry,)
> 
> Anyways, I hope you're enjoying the story!  
> Disclaimer: I still own nothing but this story line.

They stared at each other for a long moment, almost nose to nose. Then her eyes narrowed slightly, making him pull back from her.

"You fucking bastard!" She hissed.

Aro frowned down at her.

"I-" He began, not prepared for such a reaction.

She turned away from him again, clearly trying to see the path that led to her house. He was at a loss as to what to say. He thought he had done a good job at explaining the matter to her.

"Isabella, please do not leave," He said softly.

She turned back to him.

"I may be all you ever wanted, but did you consider what I wanted?"

He didn't answer.

"You are so used to getting exactly what you want, aren't you Aro?"

He could not speak. His muted responses only confirmed her statements though.

"Tell me, if I was your mate, would you have controlled me as much as you controlled Sulpicia?"

He considered her, not exactly sure what she wanted from him.

"I do not know," he said, finally.

She scoffed, shaking her head.

"I think you would," she concluded.

He couldn't deny the truth in that.

"I most likely would, yes," He confirmed, looking down at the ground.

She studied him for a long time.

"You understand that that would have never worked, right? I am my own person, you have no say in my choices. If you don't learn that, I could never be with you."

He glanced up at her.

"I appreciate that you told me the truth, but I'm still angry, and you hurt me, Aro. You hurt me a lot," She spoke through her teeth, her words almost a sob. He could see tears in her eyes again, they shimmered like tiny stars in the darkness.

"I understand," he said.

She didn't say anything for a long moment, but instead looked everywhere but at him. He noticed her shivering, and realised how cold she must feel. He hastily removed his cloak, and handed it to her, silently encouraging her to take it. She glared at it.

"Don't be stubborn, you are clearly freezing, we should not have you catch pneumonia," he admonished gently. She took it reluctantly.

"You should know, it was never my intention to hurt you," he said gently.

"I will do everything in my power to make it right, and I will be as open as I can with you. It will however be a process, because this is new to me. Everybody usually does as I say, and they do it swiftly. However, I will not expect that from you."

He stepped closer to her again.

"Will you accept my apology?" He wanted to take her hands, to feel her at least, but he knew she needed her space.

She stared up at him, her eyes still wet. She sniffled softly.

"I won't allow you to suffocate me, like you did with her," she said, eventually. She dried her nose on the sleeve of his jacket. He cringed inwardly at her action, but knew that he should definitely not say anything about it. Instead he nodded.

"I understand."

She glanced away. A single tear fell down her cheek at her movement.

"I need time to think about it," she finally said.

"I can't forgive you right now," she added, looking back up into his face.

His heart sank. He should have known.

"I understand. I hope you will eventually be able to forgive me. If there is anything I can do to help you on that path, let me know," He began to turn away from her again, not sure what else to say.

"There is," she added forcefully.

He looked at her.

"I don't think I can stand being away from you for so long a time again. I was nearly going insane." She kept their eyes locked.

"You wish for me to stay the night." He said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"And every night until we figure this out. I need sleep, and I need it to be a normal sleep. Otherwise I will lose it soon," She added.

He pondered her words a long while. Could he stay for a prolonged period without going back to his home? He almost sighed. He didn't have much of a choice. She needed him, and he needed her as well. This was the best he could have hoped for, especially considering how foolish he had been.

"I will be here for as long as you need me," he said softly. She sighed, and then stepped closer to him, putting her arms around his middle, hugging him, her head resting against his chest. He froze somewhat before he finally put his arms around her too, pulling her close, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"We should get you back, Isabella," He said softly, breathing deeply into her hair.

The darkness pressed in on all sides now. It was a miracle that she could see anything. She pulled back from him, nodding. He lifted her gently, cradling her in his arms, and he ran them through the trees, making it back to her house in a couple of minutes. Lights were on in the first floor.

"I will wait for you in your room," Aro said softly.

"It will be a moment. My dad will be questioning me," she answered, removing his coat from her person and handing it to him.

"I will have to be patient, then," he said, smiling gently down at her.

She gave a chuckle and walked towards the front door.

-II-

"Where _the hell_ have you been, Bells? I was so worried!" Charlie said.

"I know," Bella said, trying to sound casual.

"Sorry dad, but Jessica needed me. There was some boyfriend drama, and I had to console her," Bella said, inventing wildly as she went.

Her father stared at her long and hard.

"Really?" He finally inquired. Bella nodded, tugging her hair behind her ear.

"Because I called Jessica, and she knew nothing of where you were," he said, studying Bella's face.

Bella felt her heart almost seize.

"Of course she did. She didn't want you to guess what was going on. She felt embarrassed," Bella said, chuckling.

"Right," Charlie said. He clearly didn't believe her.

"I'm gonna go to bed," she said, awkwardly maneuvering towards the stairs.

"Goodnight," she added. Behind her, Charlie grunted his goodnight.

Bella ascended the stairs, feeling knots in her stomach. She felt certain her father had not believed her. Nonetheless he had not pressed her. She was 18 after wasn't much he could do about it in any case.

She entered her room, and saw Aro as he stood by the window. Relief flooded her as her eyes fell upon him. She had half expected him to bail on her, even though he had made a promise. She walked over to him, and looked up into his face. He was silent. His pale features were illuminated by the soft glow of the lamp on her bedside table. She wanted to kiss him, but wasn't sure she was ready for that just yet. She still felt a bit teary about the entire thing. He was a married man after all. Not that she should have expected anything else. He had been on this earth for a very long time. Of course he would have found someone before her. But still. He should have told her, not leave it until she more or less forced it out of him.

"Where do you want me?" He asked softly.

She motioned towards the bed, and then began to prepare for bed. She was exhausted, not caring that he saw her body, and so she changed into her night clothes right in front of him. He hastily averted his gaze, settling himself on her bed, after relieving himself of his cloak and suit jacket. Bella gratefully crawled into bed, sighing in relief. She nestled in close to him, her head resting on his thigh. He placed a hand on her shoulder, stroking her gently.

"Shit," she suddenly said, her voice all drowsy.

"What is it, _mia cara?"_ he asked her softly.

"I forgot about my homework," she murmured.

"What is it about?"

"History,"

"I am certain I can help with that," he said reassuringly.

"In the morning," she yawned, and she drifted off almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts!  
> -Pancakes


	11. Language Of Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear readers!   
> So, here's another chap in this story. It's not long, and I apologise. I hope that I can get some writing tomorrow and finally post a longer chapter for you to enjoy.   
> Disclaimer; Mild lemons in this chapter.

Bella woke several times during the night, her heart hammering wildly. She apparently felt certain that Aro had left again, and it would take her a few seconds to realise that he was right beside her still. He soothed her gently, his cold fingers skimming her arm and neck, softly caressing her cheek until she drifted off again. He sensed she was dreaming of him again, her mouth uttering the most tempting of sounds. He had to steel himself not to get too tempted by her. She needed her sleep. Besides, she would probably not appreciate it as of right now.

_Patience._

He had to gain her trust all over again before he could have her in that way. Even though she had hugged him, and allowed him to touch her, he felt certain that she was still on edge with him. He gave a soft sigh, shaking his head at himself. This was something Alice had not seen, not yet at least. As he sat there, the minutes trickling by, he realised that he had completely missed an important factor in Alice's visions. She had seen what would happen if he had stayed on a certain course. Now that he had taken a different path, forced by Bella, in his relationship with her, there might be some changes. Her visions were subjective after all. He would have to look into that.

He would also have to ask his young new mate about her conversation with Edward Cullen. Aro had sensed the young vampire, and knew that they had talked. He needed to know what about. He had arrived a moment too late, alerting Edward to his presence as Edward caught Aro's thoughts. The young man had hurried to get out of his way, and Aro was curious as to why that would be. Clearly he had been keen in avoiding that Aro read his mind.

Beside him Bella shifted, trying to get comfortable again. He watched her silently, waiting for her to settle down.

"Could you please lie down?" She asked drowsily, her eyes fluttering lightly. Aro obliged her, easily shifting his position, so she could lay with her head on his chest. She fell asleep again, sighing gently into his chest. He felt his heart constrict at the sensation, and he knew that he would do everything he could, to keep her with him.

An hour later she moaned in her sleep again, softly murmuring his name. She shifted closer to him, her right leg coming across his pelvis. He froze, as he registered her movement for the first time. He lay completely still to make sure he wasn't imagining things. No, it was indeed happening. She was gently grinding against him, her core coming into contact with his upper thigh, her breathing quickening at the contact.

Aro did not know what to make of it. Should he wake her? He decided to wait, see what would happen. She continued to rock against him, and then she began to tremble. His name fell from her lips, sighed out on the wave of a soft moan. Was she still sleeping? He thought so. It took her a few minutes, but eventually she shuddered gently against him, her hips undulating sensuously as she rode out her climax. He waited with bated breath, not daring to move. She settled down again, sleeping on as if nothing had happened. But something had certainly happened. His raging erection was testimony to that. It was pressing into her soft thigh rather insistently, and he had to rationalise himself into not just rolling her over and make her moan even harder for him. He sighed softly, trying to relax, as she slept on.

It was however a short relief, because a few minutes later she began to rock her hips again, moaning softly. Aro turned his eyes to the heavens as he realised this might very well be a long night. He wondered yet again if he should wake her, perhaps have her roll over. But he couldn't make himself do it. And so he lay, allowing her to find another release, her thigh trembling against his persistent erection, hoping against hope that this would be her last for the evening. It was not.

* * *

"How did you sleep?" Aro asked her once she began to stir sleepily in the early hours just before dawn.

"It was great, though I dreamed of you again," she yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Yes, I know," he said, smiling softly.

She looked up at him, her brown eyes puzzled. He chuckled.

"You have been finding release in your sleep, my dear,"

"What?! Don't be ridiculous! I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that!" She said, stretching and yawning.

"It is the truth, Isabella. You have been using my leg to-" Seeing her cheeks growing hot, made him desist.

"It doesn't matter," he said, shrugging. She gave a nervous chuckle, and pushed herself into a sitting position. A soft gasp came from her as she suddenly cringed as she felt a gentle gush between her legs. She glanced at him, and saw a knowing smirk on his face.

"Is something the matter?" He asked innocently.

"No," she muttered, not in the least interested in discussing the matter with him.

"Bathroom," she added, and quietly left the room. Aro chuckled softly, and sat up, resting his back against the headboard. He heard her curse quietly and then the toilet flushed.

She entered her room, silently closing the door behind her, and went straight for her bed, intending to try and get some more sleep before school in just over two hours. She settled beneath the duvet without another word, and went still.

"Am I mistaken or did you have some homework, needing attending?" He said, frowning down at her still form.

A long silence greeted his question, and then a deep sigh.

"Fuck," she murmured.

"I'd forgotten about that," She added gloomily.

Then she pushed the cover aside, turned on the light, and rummaged for her bag, digging out the necessary equipment to do the work needed.

"Do you need my help?" Aro asked gently.

Bella glanced up and shrugged.

"Maybe," she said, smiling softly. She worked rather quietly, scripling in her notebook as she paged through her history book.

Aro, watched her silently. A sentence caught his gaze, and he chuckled. Bella looked up from her work.

"What?" She asked, quietly.

Aro smiled, and then pointed at a sentence in her book.

"Let them eat cake?"

Bella glanced down. The sentence was beneath a picture of a painting of Marie Antoinette.

"What about it?"

"Marie Antoinette did not say that," he said softly.

"But she's quoted widely for having said it," Bella said, frowning.

"Yes, I know. History is mistaken. Jean-Jacques Rousseau said that. He was a philosopher," Aro explained.

Bella pondered him for a long moment.

"It should have been corrected by now, but apparently not," He added, chuckling.

"Not that it makes a blind bit of difference, she is long dead," he mused.

"You knew her?" Bella asked, frowning.

"We met a few times. Red eyes suited her," he said, smirking.

Bella's jaw dropped.

"Maried Antoinette was a vampire?!" She asked, shocked.

"Indeed," Aro said.

Bella was silent for a long time, then she shrugged.

"I can't exactly add that in here, so I'll just go with what the book says,"

"That seems fair," he said, shrugging.

Bella soon finished her homework, and began to get ready. Aro watched her silently as she rummaged around for her things.

"Do you wish for my company again tonight?" He asked, getting up from the bed and stepping closer to her.

"Yes," she said, a little breathlessly.

"I don't know why I'm still having such vivid dreams of us," She said, glancing down at the floor.

"I'm afraid somethings wrong with me," she added softly.

Aro lifted his hand, and skimmed her jaw, to have her look up at him.

"Nothing is wrong with you, my dear. I am no expert, however I suspect that you will stop having these dreams, once our bond has been fully transformed," he said gently.

"Consummated," he added, seeing her bewildered face.

Her eyes went wide at that, and she blushed fiercely. He felt an urgent need to kiss her, but resisted it.

"I'm not ready for that," she said hastily.

"I understand." His words belied his inner turmoil.

He wondered if she would ever be ready. Not that he could blame her. She had been through a lot recently. She needed time. An awkward silence filled the room. She cleared her throat and turned slowly towards the door, hoisting her bag up onto her shoulder.

"I will be home from school just before 4," Bella said, looking back over her shoulder.

"Alright," Aro said.

"I will be here," he promised, giving her a soft smile, making her blush again.

She closed the door behind her, and Aro's smile deflated somewhat. He felt like she had taken his sanity with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> I will be editing a bit now, removing mistakes and such, so that I can live with myself again. 
> 
> -Pancakes


	12. The Dream Will Never End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps!   
> Here's the next instalment on this topsy turvy story! Hope you enjoy!  
> Before you go, please allow me to express the gratitude at your kind words and thoughts! I can't believe that this story has become so popular! So thank you sooo much for everything!

Bella came home, mumbling curses under her breath. The week had blurred past her, and it was finally Friday. Aro had spent every night with her, but she was still having those dreams of him. She used to find them pleasant, even though they had her in a state of perpetual arousal, but now since his big reveal, they got on her nerves.

It had such an annoying day at school. 

Mike had been particularly trying today. He had insisted that they work together on an assignment, and he seemed quite oblivious to Bella’s less than eager countenance. She preferred to do it alone, but he was deaf to her protests. Eventually she agreed, only to shut him up. She almost immediately regretted her decision as he as usual wasn’t too interested in doing the work, but only wanted to chat and have fun. 

The teacher tried to make him focus, but Mike’s focus window was shorter than the space between his eyebrows. Bella grew increasingly annoyed and eventually berated the blond boy to within an inch of his life, and then she stormed off, finding a quiet corner where she could finish the work on her own. She felt his confused eyes on her back, and knew he would be hurt, but she didn’t really care. He was so immature, and she had felt her attraction towards Aro grow exponentially.

As she sat, trying to focus, Edward and Alice were suddenly there. They sat down on either side of her, their faces serious. 

“Did you see Aro?” Alice asked, even though she must have seen it. 

Bella pursed her lips. 

“Yes,” she said. She didn’t feel like talking about it just right now. 

“Did he tell you about-?” Edward asked her, curiously watching her profile. 

Bella felt a knot in her stomach at what Edward was alluding to. She couldn’t speak, and so she simply nodded. They seemed to sense her anger, because they exchanged looks.

“what did you do to him?” Alice asked. 

“I, uh, screamed at him,” Bella said softly. 

“You screamed at him?!” Alice asked, shocked, while Edward guffawed at the thought.

“Yeah,” Bella shrugged. As far as she was concerned, he had deserved it.

Alice blinked a few times. 

“That is probably the first time anyone has ever done that,” she said, chuckling a little. Edward snickered. 

Bella wasn’t amused. 

“What do you want?” She asked abruptly, far too tired to have a session of small talk with the two. Especially about her very private situation with Aro.

“We just wanted to check on you,” Edward said. 

“It must be a tough pill to swallow, your situation taken into consideration. You’re the one stuck with him,” he said, shrugging. 

Bella scowled at him. 

“I don’t need this right now, Edward! Whatever is going on between Aro and me, is none of your business. Either of you,” she added, turning her scowl towards Alice. 

“You should have told me, and you didn’t. I can’t say how disappointed I am with you.” With that, she got up and stalked off to her car. She would go home. School was over as far as she was concerned. 

* * *

Charlie wasn’t home. A note was taped to the fridge.

> _ Bells! _
> 
> _ I will be gone for a few days, got a double homicide case in Mason County. _
> 
> _ Left money for you in the kettle. _
> 
> _ Dad _

Bella hastily grabbed an apple, and went to her bedroom. As she was a couple of hours earlier home than expected, she had assumed Aro would be gone, so when she opened her bedroom door, she yelped in shock at seeing him standing just inside the door. Her body lurched with shock and the apple flew from her hand. Aro smoothly caught it, his eyes not even leaving her face. 

_ Show off. _

He silently handed it back to her. 

“Are you alright?” He asked quietly. 

Bella blew out her cheeks, not entirely certain what to say. 

“I don’t know,” she finally said, truthfully. 

“Do you wish to talk about it?” He asked her softly. 

“Not really,” she said, shrugging. She went to her bed, and sat down, biting into the apple savagely. Aro turned to follow her with his gaze. He closed the door, and leaned against it, crossing his arms across his chest. She watched him inconspicuously. God he was handsome. She found it hard to be angry at him and it frustrated her beyond belief. Her mind and body were on two different tracks, and the cognitive dissonance made her dizzy. She desperately wished she could go back to the time before she knew these things about him. Their shared moments were so beautiful, but now in this new light, they had lost their magic. She felt dirty somehow. He was a married man, and she had practically thrown herself at him, literally begging him to fuck her. She huffed. How desperate she must have seen. 

The worst part was that she still wanted him. Her entire body seemed to hum whenever he was close, like a tuning fork, finding just the right resonance, and she felt herself gravitate towards him. Of course she knew why she felt like that, and it only served to annoy her even further. As Edward so eloquently had pointed out, she had no choice in the matter. 

“Are you certain you do not wish to talk about it?” Aro asked her, sitting down beside her on the bed. 

Bella shifted her gaze to him.

“Why?” She asked. 

“Well, you have been scowling at that apple for a solid two minutes,” he said gently. 

Bella flushed. 

“Please, my dear. Talk to me?” He said softly. 

She considered him for a long moment.

“I want you,” she said hesitantly. 

“But I don’t want you,” she added, her eyes falling towards her hands. She was squeezing the apple in her fingers now.

“I am ridiculously attracted to you, but you are also utterly infuriating. I feel scared at what is expected of me, if I should ever go back to Italy with you. I don’t want to leave this place, dreary as it is, I don't think I  _ could  _ leave it.” She spoke as things came to mind, and she felt a little lighter as her mind was relieved of her thoughts. 

“ _ And _ you’re a married man,” she added sullenly. 

“But it would seem that I don’t exactly have a choice,” she turned towards him as she spoke. 

“ _ This _ ,” she indicated the both of them, her index pointing at each of them in turn.

“Is not going away,” she sighed. 

“But you hurt me, and,” she felt tears sting her eyes now.

“I’m not sure I can forgive you. And now, I have to live with that, because we are bound together.” 

Aro’s gaze did not leave her face as he listened intently to her words, and she saw his crimson eyes grow tender as she spoke, and she knew he understood. She looked down, feeling the tears grow heavy. He slowly lifted a hand, and caught the first falling tear on his fingers. 

“I understand,” he said gently. 

“It is a lot to be dealing with,” he added. 

“I cannot take away your pain, Isabella. I am the one who caused it. As of you coming back to Italy with me, do not worry. I can wait for as long as you need. I am sorry that I pushed you on the matter. I was selfish, not seeing your needs as well. I only wanted you to come back, because I… have a hard time doing this without the counsel of my Brothers. Especially Marcus has helped me see my errors,” Aro’s voice was soft and delicate as he spoke. 

He cupped her cheek, looking into her deep eyes. 

“He who dares not grasp the thorn, should never crave the rose.” The words were whispered, his cold breath tickling her face. Bella frowned at the sentence. It was familiar to her. 

“I have been such a coward,” he said quietly. 

“I see that now.” He wiped another tear from her cheek as it rolled down towards his thumb. 

“I am truly sorry,  _ carissima, _ ” He added. 

She looked into his eyes, sensing the truth in his words. They stared at each other for a long moment. The air between them seemed to solidify. She felt his cold touch as he cupped her jaw. Instinctively her eyes fell to his lips. Sensing her need, he ever so slowly bent down, carefully placing his lips on hers. The kiss was soft, tender. He pulled back after a couple of seconds, trying to see what she wanted. The apple rolled from between her fingers as she placed her hands on his arms, trying to pull him close again, whimpering softly for more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hides beneath table*  
> Sooo, another day another far too short chapter. Please don't hate me too much! I am working on the big one, and it shall be up as soon as I can! I promise! Hold tight!  
> -Pancakes


	13. Reality Is Far Better Than A Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers!   
> So here's the chapter you've been waiting for! 5000 words, releasing all that tension. Hopefully!   
> Right, I am off to bed. I woke at 2 AM and couldn't sleep anymore after only a couple of hours of sleep. I've more or less been writing since then, and it is now almost 11 AM. I am absolutely exhausted.  
> Cheers!
> 
> Disclaimer: Strong sexual content at almost every turn in this chapter. Read at your own discretion.   
> Enjoy!

Aro felt his chest grow tight. He barely restrained himself, frantically trying to remind himself not to overwhelm her.

He kissed her again, seeking out her mouth, moving against her a little more urgently. He had missed kissing her and suddenly he felt his baser urges surge forward, exploding forth like a raging river that had been trapped behind a dam. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her fiercely,  _ needing _ to feel more of her. She moaned against his lips, her fingers grabbing at the lapels of his suit jacket, trying to pull him even closer.

Aro gently pushed her backwards, his chest coming into contact with hers as she lay back onto the bed, their legs getting intertwined, his left leg pushing gently against her warm core. Still kissing her, he explored her body, his hands running down her throat and shoulder, his fingers skimming the swell of her right breast, before he grabbed onto her waist, urgently pulling her closer. He sensed her breathing as it quickened, her heart skipping frantically against her ribs. A throaty moan escaped her, and he growled softly, moving his mouth to place kisses on her cheeks, eyes and forehead. 

“ _ Ti amo così tanto, Isabella, _ ” He murmured into her ear, his tongue flicking out at the delicate shell. 

The words had been spoken before he could stop himself, and he felt her freeze somewhat. He pulled back, and she looked into his eyes for a long moment. He hadn’t realised she might understand the words, but clearly she did.

“You love me?” She whispered, her voice suddenly constricted. 

He had said it in an unguarded moment, and he suddenly felt that maybe he shouldn’t have. He meant every word, but he realised that it might be too soon for her to hear them. However, there was no going back now.

“I do,” he confirmed softly. 

Her bottom lip gave a soft tremble.

He waited mutely, hoping against hope that he hadn’t scared her off again. 

She took a deep, shuddering breath, searching his eyes, scrutinising him so deeply he almost felt x-rayed. Then he saw a single tear tracing its way down her face, and into her hair. 

“Isabella?” He asked her, mildly disconcerted by her silence. 

She closed her eyes, swallowing thickly. 

“I love you too,” she whispered, making his heart swell, a thrill running through his body. 

She opened her eyes again, and he nearly drowned in the deep pools of her soul.

“ _ La mia anima gemella, _ ” he said urgently, his voice soft nonetheless, and he caressed her damp cheek softly. 

She gave a wobbly smile, not understanding what he was saying. 

He leaned down again, kissing her gently. He rolled on top of her, pressing her body into the mattress. She gave a little jerk, and he immediately halted his movements. She sighed with discontent. 

“I have to pee,” she said, blushing deeply. 

He chuckled at that. He got up from her, allowing her to go to the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the bed again, watching her disappear through the door. In a way he was relieved. He had nearly lost control again. He shook his head. Never had he been so unable to suppress his urges. Granted it had been a long time since he had been with anybody, and even longer since it had been a human. But he usually prided himself on his self control. He ran a hand down his face. He better get a hold of himself, and soon. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a shower sputtering and the water hitting the floor tiles. He frowned.  _ She was taking a shower? _ He tilted his head, listening, and sure enough, she appeared to be vigorously scrubbing herself beneath the spray. 

It didn’t take her long, and she soon appeared in the doorway again, her body covered in a soft bathrobe. He peered at her. She was fiddling with the sash. 

“I figured I should clean myself, before we…” She trailed off, blushing deeply. 

Aro slowly stood up, and went to her, standing right in front of her. He grasped a few strands of her damp her, tugging gently at them. 

“You feel ready?” He asked her, searching her face. 

She had lowered her gaze in apparent embarrassment, but at his words, she glanced up and nodded. He considered her for a few seconds. 

“Your father, he will be home soon, if I am not mistaken?” He said, letting go of her hair, his finger tracing the neck of the robe. 

She shook her head hastily. 

“No, he’ll be gone a few days. He’s got a murder case in another county,” she explained. 

Aro nodded, and then taking her hands, he pulled her into the bedroom again, closing the door gently behind them. 

He pulled her close and kissed her again, burying his fingers in her hair. She responded in kind, her slightly cool fingers resting on his chest. Then he pulled back, he took a deep breath. 

“You are certain?” He asked her, keeping eye contact with, steadily searching her face. 

She bit her lip, and nodded again. He growled softly, kissing her again, this time more urgently, his arms coming around her waist. His hands slid down and cupped her ass, pulling her close, his erection pressing into her lower abdomen. She moaned, and he could smell her eagerness instantly. Her fingers clutched at his chest, then she found the lapels of his suit jacket, and impatiently pushed it off his shoulders. He allowed the garment to slide down his arms, before he again took her in his arms. She began to open the buttons on his shirt, their lips never parting. He waited patiently for her to be done with it, and she finally pulled at the fabric, tugging the shirt out of his trousers, equally pushing it off his shoulders. For the first time she saw his Volturi necklace, as it rested against his cold chest. It glinted warmly at her. She touched it gently with her fingers, biting her lip.

He took her hand and kissed her wrist, keeping her eyes locked on his. Then he slowly removed the heavy chain from around his neck, and placed it on her nightstand.

He stood before her, allowing her to explore his chest and arms. She ran her fingers down his arms, linking with his fingers shortly, before continuing on with her exploration. He watched her intently, mesmerised by the look on her face. She began to walk around him, her fingers caressing his shoulders, feeling his broad back as she stood behind him. He felt her warm breath on his skin, her lips descending shortly after in the centre of his back. He inhaled deeply at the sensation. Then she came back around, and holding onto his ribs she kissed his sternum softly. He circled her waist, pulling her closer, and she tilted her head back, allowing him to capture her lips in a searing kiss. They clung to each other, their movements increasing in intensity.

Aro found the sash on her robe, and pulled at it gently, opening it. The garment fell open, revealing her body to his hot gaze. He looked into her eyes, his fingers curling around her neck, his thumb on her pulse. It throbbed steadily, just beneath her skin. He removed her robe and without warning cupped her ass, lifting her into his arms. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips. He kissed her again, lifting her to the bed, where he placed her across it, on the edge, using his body to push her all the way back, still taking her lips greedily. She reclined across it, her legs over the edge, still loosely wrapped around him, and he kissed her deeply, feeling her respond. His clothed erection briefly grazed her centre, making her whimper, shivering slightly. He couldn’t help but smile against her lips, as he pushed against her again. She groaned deeply, tilting her head to the side, presenting her lovely neck to his lips. He eagerly sucked at her skin, laving it with his cold tongue, seeing her erupt into goosebumps.

“You smell delicious,” he murmured softly, his fingers trailing her ribs gently, travelling the contours of her body. 

Thank you,” she said. 

“I’m not wearing anything,” she added, her voice rather breathless.

“That’s probably why,” he said, smirking. 

He moved down her clavicle, leaving a wet trail behind, searching out her right breast, capturing the already taught nipple in between his lips. She insinuated her fingers in his hair, trying to pull him closer. He growled and released her soft pliant flesh with a soft pop, eagerly treating her other breast the same. She arched into his touch, and he scraped his teeth across the stiff peak, making her jolt slightly beneath him, a hoarse cry escaping her. 

The sound made him frantic to be inside her, and he had to restrain himself, hastily reminding himself to take it slowly. She was new to this, and he wanted her debut to be something she would remember. 

He kissed his way lower, finding her ribs, licking them slowly, crossing her stomach, leaving wet kisses onto her skin, making her writhe beneath him. He felt her tremble slightly as she realised where he was going. He kneeled beside the bed, his face level with her blazing hot core. He ran his fingers down her labia, spreading the folds gently, using his thumbs to hold them apart. Her scent hit him like a scolding hot tsunami and he could already see a few drops of her redolence, as the collected beads at her entrance ran down her perineum. 

He hastily collected the precious nectar with his tongue, suckling at her damp flesh, finally tasting her. Another cry was wrenched from her as she felt his mouth on her for the first time, the sensation much much better than what her dreams ever presented her with. 

Her hands came into his hair instinctively, grasping tightly onto him. He growled, and with a flat tongue, he licked her from her anus to her clitoris, his fingers revealing the sensitive bundle of nerves to his gaze. He could see her insides contracting, her clitoris throbbing visibly. She was breathing harshly, her chest heaving. He desisted somewhat, nibbling at her outer labia, moving to kiss her inner thighs wetly, his teeth scraping the thin skin there. She whined as she clearly needed urgent attention elsewhere, rocking her hips, trying to urge him to attend to her almost painful need. He could see her clitoris was so swollen and erect, the tiny glans protruding from beneath the hood. He blew cool air onto her, making her shiver involuntarily. He kissed the underside of her thigh, slowly laving his tongue towards her moist center, her scent far too tempting for him to hold out much longer. She mewled impatiently, wriggling somewhat, trying to get him to move closer to her epicentre. 

“Please, Aro,” She moaned.

“It’s almost painful,” she whined, her body trembling with the need to come.

“I know,” he said soothingly, cupping her sex with one hand, pushing slightly upwards.

“Ah!” The sound bounced around the room, her body lurching at his touch. 

He enjoyed the sight of her trying to find friction by grinding against the heel of his hand, her frustrated sighs, music to his ears. She was already so close, and he chuckled darkly, as she nearly growled, when he removed his hand from her center.

No longer able to resist, he took it in his mouth, suckling it gently, before releasing it with a small pop as the vacuum released. She jumped a violent tremor shooting though her body at the delicious sensation. He smirked and subjected her to a series of those, making her shudder violently. Within seconds, she was teetering on the precipice, her hips writhing on the edge of the bed, and it only took a lazy swirl of his tongue aimed at her clit for her to fall over. She whimpered harshly, her knees squeezing closed, trapping his head between her soft thighs. He placed his hands on her inner thighs and gently pried her legs apart again, her feet resting on his shoulders, eagerly lapping at her flesh, her climax having sent a gush of her sweet juices onto his lips and tongue. He could feel her inner muscles as they gave a series of pulses in rapid succession, her body finally shuddering to a halt as she came down to earth. He suckled at her again, not nearly ready to relinquish the sweet taste of her just yet. He slowly lapped at her again, easily rousing her into another state of sweet insanity, languidly quelling the ache she felt pulsing through her core. 

This he would never get enough of. She tasted absolutely divine, her heady scent had him achingly hard, his trapped member, throbbing with the need to be inside her. He pulled at the hood of her clit with his lips, tugging the skin taught before releasing it, wrapping his lips around her clit and suckling, his tongue lashing at it. He marveled at her body’s response, her entire frame jack-knifing as he made her come apart again, her core pulsating strongly against his lips. He desisted again, using his fingers to spread her lips apart, seeing her pink heat revealed to him. He prodded at her with his tongue, finding even more of her essence as it collected at her entrance. He pulled back, and using his middle finger, he gently nudged her snug channel, slowly penetrating her heat. He fingered her gently, his other hand pushing her folds together at the top of her sex, trapping her stiff nub between them. She was soon moaning again, ready for another release, and he eased another digit into her, allowing the palm of his hand to cup her clit as he pushed his fingers deeper into her, all the while his thumb and index squeezed and massaged the fleshy part surrounding her engorged clit. She gave a sudden shudder, panting, her inner muscles giving a hard squeeze, her back arching sharply, as she lifted her head from the bed. Another thrust of his fingers, his palm mashing her clit, and she fell back onto the bed, the coil within snapping like a fiber optic filament. She shook violently, her walls fluttering around his digits, a fierce cry of passion released as she rode out her third climax. Aro kept his fingers buried within her, but crawled up her body, so that he could kiss her. She received him, kissing him desperately. Then he began to grind his hand against her, pushing his fingers into a spongy area a few inches inside her, starting slowly at first, but increasing the pace, as she threw her head back, her eyes going wide with shock at the feeling. He put his free arm beneath her shoulders, pulling her close, nibbling at her throat as he ground into her hot cavity, the sounds of her wet flesh reverberating around the room, making her shout and buck wildy beneath him. He felt her insides push on his fingers on all sides, and he retracted them, focusing on massaging her clit gently. As he pulled out, a warm gush of fluids spurted forth, landing on his trousers. She convulsed as he kept a steady pressure on her clit, crooning at her, as she had the fiercest orgasm of her life. It took her a long moment to return to him, and she blinked in a complete daze. 

“Wow,” she panted. 

He chuckled seductively.

“That felt good?” He asked her, smirking down at her. 

“That was absolutely incredible. I need a minute,” she added, breathless from her exertions. 

He chuckled deeply. She was already covered in a fine sheen of sweat, some of her hair sticking to her damp forehead. Aro bent down to kiss her, before he stood up, slowly divesting himself of his now damp trousers. He stood naked before her, flashing her a toothy smile, that made her heart skip a beat. His manhood stood at attention, a droplet of clear fluid glinting at the tip. Bella lay on her back, watching him intently. At the sight of his naked body, she slowly sat up, her feet now on the floor, her gaze level with his stiff member. He peered down at her, caressing her cheek again, smiling at her. His eyes were filled with utmost adoration, their tender gaze lingering on her face as if he would never get enough of looking at her. She flushed at his intense perusal of her, and bit her lip, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Then he bent down and lifted her up and dragged her further onto the bed, having her in the center. She chuckled at him, running her fingers across his shoulders, feeling his muscles flexing as he moved above her. He nudged her legs further apart, and she felt his cold member rest against her core. He was nearly burned by her hot flesh, blood pounding just beneath the surface. He slowly rubbed his cock across her clit, massaging her gently, before rubbing downwards, her folds parting easily for him. He looked into her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was breathing faster again, her ribcage expanding rhythmically, before collapsing gently again as she expelled each breath forcefully. 

“It is okay to stop now, if you are not ready. I will not pressure you into it,” he said softly. She lifted her arms and placed them around his neck, pulling him down, so that he stretched out on top of her. She kissed him deeply. 

“I forgive you, Aro,” she whispered against his lips. 

He felt a thrill shoot through him at her words, and he looked into her eyes, caressing her cheek gently. 

“ _ Grazie, mia cara, _ ” he murmured, and kissing her tenderly, he began to thrust into her. She was so wet, the sensation nearly sucking his cock inside in one fell swoop. He took a deep breath, steadying himself. He pulled back slightly before pushing in again, penetrating her a little deeper. She gave a gasp, feeling him enter her. Her face crumbled as her private area burned upon his intrusion, slowly though he went. He paused, grinding his teeth together, feeling her squeezing him too perfectly. She bit her lip, and nodded shortly. He pulled out again, and thrust back in, careful not to go too far, lest he hurt her. She stiffened as she felt the broad tip of his cock hit the unused muscles of her vagina, leaving behind a fierce stinging sensation. She placed a hand on his chest, and he stopped immediately. He suddenly caught the faint metallic, slightly salty tang of blood in the air, and he knew she was bleeding a little. 

“Take your time,” he offered softly, caressing her cheek patiently. He could also smell the brine of her tears as she fought the pain. 

“Ow, this hurts,” she hissed, trying to adjust her pelvis, immediately jumping as he grazed her sensitive walls again. 

“Would you like to stop?” He asked, retracting his member from her body somewhat, easing the pain a little. 

“No,” she said. 

“No, I want you,” she added, gritting her teeth. 

He smiled down at her, and waited. She sighed, and pushed her hair out of her face. 

“But maybe a break would be a good idea,” she said, her voice filled with disappointment.

Aro easily moved from between her legs, and placed himself beside her on the bed. He rested on his elbow, looking down at her, his fingers trailing her stomach. 

She slowly sat up, and pushed at his shoulder to make him lie down completely. He obliged neatly, throwing his long dark hair out of his face. Bella straddled him, kissing him heatedly. He suckled at her lower lip, causing a hot bolt of warmth to shoot straight to her core, and she ground down onto him. She began to explore him, by kissing his jaw and throat, breathing in his amazing smell. She placed her hands on his chest, her fingers exploring him, finding his nipples, circling them slowly. He gave a soft moan, and she felt a flash of heat between her legs. She had made Aro, king of the Volturi moan. She instantly wanted him to do it again, and she scooted down his body, straddling his thighs, her knees resting on the edge of the bed. This way she could run her tongue over his flat nipples, prodding them with the tip. He made the same sound, his hips rolling gently, the tip of his cock prodding her lower abdomen. 

This caught her attention, and she began to move down his body, slowly crawling backwards off the bed, until she was kneeling on the floor, between his thighs. Her hands slid down his chest, his ribcage. His skin was so soft, yet he was hard as well. Her gaze wandered his body, following the trail of his body hair as it led to the thick thatch of black curls between his legs. His straining erection was resting on top of those dark curls, and as she ran her fingers over his body again, he twitched, the shaft bouncing once. Bella experimented, and by running her fingers over his nipples, she discovered that she could make it happen again. The sight had her core throbbing. Her brain flooded with the sensations he had created in her by just using his mouth. She wondered if she could do the same to him. 

Hesitantly, she took a hold of his cock, the steely feel of his erection was something she remembered from the time they had masturbated each other to a simultaneous release. A soft shuddering breath escaped her as she felt another hot flash between her legs. She glanced at his face, and he had closed his eyes for the moment. This made her more confident, and she explored his nether regions more freely, trying out what he reacted to. She wrapped her fist around him, pulling back on his foreskin, slowly seeing the weeping head of his cock peek out. He moaned softly at her ministrations, and she saw a bead of clear fluid flow forth. 

She bent down and licked at it, tasting him for the first time. Her tongue fluttered across the frenulum and his hips lurched slightly upwards, the tip of his cock prodding at her lips. Experimentally, she opened her mouth and took him in, trying to take as much as she could, her nose nearly touching the hair covering his pubic bone. 

She tried to apply suction and he gave another moan, his hips moving slightly off the bed. 

Bella did it again, and he breathed deeply, rolling his hips gently into her warm, moist cavity. 

“Keep this up, my dear, and I am afraid I am going to shoot my release in between those lovely, sexy lips of yours,” he warned silkily, his voice barely concealing the passion just beneath the surface. 

She wanted him to lose control, and so she applied herself to the task, her head bobbing up and down on his shaft, her tongue running along the underside of his cock. 

“Ah, you little minx, you are going to make me come,” he said, his voice slightly breathless, his pelvis rolling and thrusting of their own accord. 

She couldn’t help but moan at his words, the tremor making him grow rigid, as he suddenly erupted in her mouth. She felt the bitter tang of his release and gently tried to take it all, swallowing it down. He lay still for a moment, before he sat up, and grabbed her, flinging her hastily onto the bed, insinuating himself between her thighs. He kissed her deeply, growling against her mouth, his chest rattling her frame slightly. 

“That was absolutely wonderful, my dear,” he murmured against her lips, making her blush with pleasure. He kissed her jaw, licked her pulse and simultaneously ran his fingers down her sex, sliding through the puffy folds. 

“You are still so wet,  _ mia cara, _ ” he crooned, making her shiver. 

“Would you like me to try again?” He asked, rubbing his thumb slowly around her clit, making her roll her hips, her insides clenching fiercely at the sensation. 

She looked up at him for a moment, but then nodded.

“Okay, try again,” she said, steeling herself. 

He thrust again, trying a different approach. Instead of trying to penetrate her completely in one go, he began a series of shallow thrusts, only just dipping into her before pulling out. This had her mewling shortly, the sensation quite pleasant. He could feel her tighten around him, her body preparing her for another release. The feeling nearly had him push in all the way, his loins tightening as she grasped him fiercely. Once she was rocking against him, he eased in a little deeper, and then continuing to thrust, ever so slowly moving forward, breaching her tight cunt for the first time. She had kept her eyes closed, and when she felt him nestled in all the way, she opened them, glancing down at their joined bodies. 

“Wow, that went smoothly,” she commented. 

Aro could only chuckle, as she had lifted her head to look down, her insides grabbed him like a silken iron fist. It took every ounce of his resolve to not move. 

“Take your time to adjust,” he said, merely resting between her legs, his hand coming around her shoulders. He kissed her gently, trying to distract her from any unpleasantness. He could sense her trying out different things, angling her hips a little differently. Eventually she lifted her legs up, so her knees were at his sides. Then she nodded, bracing. 

He slowly pulled out almost all the way, before pushing back in, thrusting into the hilt. She gasped loudly, a groan escaping her as her head tilted back sharply. He halted again. 

“No, don’t stop,” she managed, biting down on her lower lip. He obliged and began to fuck her in slow deep thrusts. She writhed beneath him, her fingers scrabbling at his shoulders, her scalp tingling with the fierce sensation of his silky rhythms within her. Her mouth were producing no intelligible words, except for his name, chanted fiercely, as she climbed her way to her orgasm. She wanted him to go faster, and tried to urge him on with moans of pleasure, as she was swiftly driven towards that edge of ecstasy. She flung her arms around his shoulders, clutching at him fiercely, and he got the message, increasing his pace. She was soon shuddering and panting, swearing profusely, her body submerged with entirely new sensations. She stiffened slightly, a coarse moan escaping her as he thrust into her a little faster again.

“ _ Don’t stop, please don't stop! _ ” she gasped hotly, clinging to him for dear life her knees clutching his sides hard.

Urged on, he gave a few sharp thrusts, jolting her entire body, making the bed stutter slightly across the floor. She exploded forcefully, bucking violently against him, crying out fiercely as she felt the waves crash over her again and again. Aro began to thrust faster, fucking her in earnest, feeling her fluttering around him, her pelvis lifting off the bed to meet him at every thrust. He suckled her damp skin, and she jackknifed beneath him, another wave of pleasure rushed her body.

He halted his movement momentarily, shifting around, so she stretched her legs, and he straddled her thighs, his cock still within her. He caught her wrists, and pinned her arms above her head, effectively pinning her in place. At his first thrust in this new position, she nearly arched off the bed, as Aro undulated his pelvis into her lustily fucking her into the mattress, his pubic bone mashing her clit at every thrust.

She gave a bewildered half moan, half gasp, as he sent her careening into another climax, her body rolling and bucking. He however had her pinned beneath him, and as the tail-end of her release washed over her, he plucked at her nipples, grazing them with the rough pads of his thumbs. She orgasmed almost immediately, her cries growing increasingly desperate, as she shuddered against him. He could feel his own release closing in, the tell tale warmth spreading through his ball sack and he suddenly thrust a little less restrained, pounding into her, a fierce tingle racing down his spine. 

“Oh my love, you are far too desirable. I will not last long, I am afraid,” he groaned, his lips at her throat. She seemed to be too far gone to hear him, her body rigid as he pushed her over the edge one final time. She clamped down hard around him, dragging his climax from him, his essence spurting fiercely into her, as he shuddered on top of her. 

They held each other for a long moment, before he lifted himself up on his elbows, looking into her face. She was panting, her brow dotted with little droplets of perspiration. But she looked up into his face, smiling dazedly at him. 

“I love you,” he whispered. She hummed softly, closing her eyes.

“Are you alright?” He asked, carefully retracting from her body, landing on his elbow beside her. 

She didn’t answer. He waited, and realised she had fallen asleep, her breathing coming back to an almost normal rhythm. He chuckled at that, and gently scooped her up, placing her body so her head rested on her pillows. Then he pulled the duvet over her, and curled his own body around hers, his hand circling her waist. 

* * *

Translations:

_ Ti amo così tanto, Isabella (Italian) _ = I love you so much, Isabella.

_ La mia anima gemella (Italian) _ = My soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! I hope that was worth all the cliffhangers! Let me know what you think!  
> -Pancakes


	14. A World Of Dreams And Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps! Sorry for the delay on this. I have been feeling really tired lately, but here's the next chapter. 
> 
> Please be warned: Smuttyness ensues.😉
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. 
> 
> Now, please continue on.

Bella stirred awake a few hours later, her eyes flickering gently beneath her lids. She didn’t know how long she had been sleeping, but it only took a few deep breaths to know that Aro was still with her, his tantalising smell filling her nostrils. She could feel his cold arm beneath her neck, stretching out in front of her. Neither of them spoke, but she felt him move gently against her beneath the covers, his chest pressing into her back. His cold hand grasped her thigh, lifting her left leg up, granting himself easier access to her hot core. She gave a soft gasp as he entered her again. She was sore and tender, but he moved slowly, penetrating her carefully, filling her ever so steadily. His lips were at her neck as he slowly took her from behind, his cold breathing making her skin prickle. The discomfort soon dissipated, the pleasure igniting like a flame. His hand, gripping her thigh, let go of her and trailed down towards her sex, his skilled fingers gently caressing her clit, barely ghosting it. Bella’s head fell forward onto the pillow at the sensation, sensing her walls seizing up almost to the point of it being painful. His touch was not enough to complete her need, but it was almost too much nonetheless. She whimpered into her pillow, her body trembling. Aro was in no hurry, seemingly enjoying the way her body responded to him. He thrust into her at a leisurely pace, matching his rhythm with the way his fingers skimmed her sensitive bud. She was gripping the sheets, her knuckles white, her breath exploding out of her from time to time, as she grew increasingly desperate for the impending climax. 

“You are trembling, carissima,” he murmured, thrusting a little faster into her before relenting again, reverting to the slow torture. 

As he had increased his rhythm, he had given her throbbing clit more direct contact, and she curled in upon herself, nearly flying over the edge. She gave a frustrated sigh when he desisted, rolling her pelvis slightly, trying to get him to do it again. His arm beneath her suddenly came up and wrapped around her torso, pulling her head gently back towards him, his fingers curling around her throat. His nose prodded her cheek, and his deep voice trickled into her ear.

“I will not be rushed, my dear,” he crooned, holding her in place as he continued to fuck her, winding her up more and more.

“You are gripping me so tightly, mia cara, every time I do this,” he demonstrated it for her, by gently pulling on the hood of her clit, and she felt her insides clench hard, so close to her release, that she was nearly sobbing.

“You feel that? Do you want to come, my dear?” He asked her, rolling his hips into her a little faster, making her moan.

“Do you?” He asked a little more insistently.

“Y-yes,” she croaked. 

“Of course you do,” he said, his seductive voice nealy making her lose it all together. 

He began to fuck her faster, his member rubbing her walls more intensely, and then he dipped a finger down, collecting some of her juices before moving his finger back up, wetly circling her clit, spreading the warmth over her. It didn’t take more, because she finally came apart in that instant, her walls fluttering and spasming around him, a grateful whimper falling from her lips. He growled, and then pushed her over so she was rolled onto her stomach. He flung the duvet aside, shifting the pillows around, so she could lay face down and still breath. The length of his body pressed her into the mattress, as he fucked her faster now. He paused a moment to place a pillow beneath her hips, raising her pelvis off the bed. 

“Spread your legs, darling, you can now grind into the pillow,” he said, humming when she did it, making her groan at the feeling. The combination of his cock, plunging into her again and again, and the soft touch of the pillow right where she needed it had her shatter in a matter of seconds, her pelvis rocking as she desperately rubbed the front of her cunt into the pillow, trying to get as much friction as possible. 

“That’s it, take what you need now,” he encouraged her. 

She was gripping onto the sheet with deathly white fingers, and he caught her hands, intertwining their fingers, holding onto her, as he rode into her. His dark hair tickled her shoulder and neck, his cold breath almost stinging her hot and sticky skin as he laboured on top of her. His words were making her insides melt, the mellifluous timbre seeping into her very soul, vibrating the taut string, on the verge of snapping it. Aro began to curl his arm around her torso, hugging her to his chest, his hand grasping her breast, teasing the nipple gently. He nudged her legs closed, straddling her thighs and began to roll his pelvis into her. The pillow beneath her hips got caught between her legs, pressing into her clit in a most delicious manner. She barely noticed the sounds she was making, she suddenly jack-knifed, her ass being pushed back up into him reflexively, a hoarse cry getting lost in the sheets. Her knees bent, her heels brushing his buttocks as he undulated passionately against her, the sound of hard flesh hitting soft pliant flesh reverberating around the room. Her entire body shuddered, her voice rising in pitch as she almost screamed, her face buried in between the pillows, the waves of pleasure washing over her, intensifying exponentially as he fucked her relentlessly, easily catapulting her into another orgasm straight on the tail end of the other. She felt his teeth at her throat, nibbling at her, tasting the salt on her skin. 

No sooner had she come down from her climax, than he lifted her up so she was standing on all fours. He penetrated her again, holding onto her hips, gently thrusting into her. She was whimpering softly again, and he soothed her by running his hands up her arched back, leaning forward and placing cold, wet kisses on the fiery skin of her shoulders and neck. 

“You are going to come for me again, my dear,” he murmured against her skin. His cold breath only set off the hotness of his words. 

His icy fingers curled around her throat, the other travelled down her body, finding her apex. He began to caress her, softly brushing the engorged nub, his manhood plunging into her at a leisurely pace, slowly sending her onto a winding path of hysteria. She couldn’t believe how good it felt to have Aro practically wrapped around her. His movements were so sensual but persistent, nearly drowning her in sensations. Her body began to tremble again, urgently seeking out the delicious, yet almost painful precipice.

“Yeees,” he crooned seductively into her ear.

“I love feeling you come apart, Isabella. Perfavore ancora,” he whispered, increasing his pace, jolting her frame with his powerful thrusts. 

It was his words that did it, his Italian sending a hot flash straight to her core. A harsh shuddering breath escaped her as she was hurled over the edge, his fingers pressing into her skin gently. He groaned deeply at the feeling of her pulsating heat fluttering around him, contracting again and again, and he suddenly felt himself spill his essence deep within her, white hot pulses shooting through his system.

Once they returned from their climax, he pulled out, and flipped her over, easily entering her body again, lifting her leg beneath the knee, his hand holding on to her left buttock as he continued to fuck her, rolling his pelvis into her, making her jerk and studder as she was pushed towards another release. She clung to his shoulders, her face buried in his neck, her mouth babbling wildly now. 

He was mesmerized by her, as she seemingly surrendered to his tender care. The way her body felt against his was absolutely divine. He could hardly believe how easily she responded to his touch and his words. He was overcome with a love for this human, he had never thought possible. This was different somehow, from anything he had experienced. Their bodies moved in a way that suggested they were synchronized not just in body and mind, but also in their souls. As this thought hit him, he suddenly found it much harder to hold out, a searing tingle racing down his spine and he groaned deep in his chest, feeling her sweet heat clamping down around him again, nearly making him lose his control completely. 

He began to nibble at her throat again, and despite her delirium she sensed exactly what he wanted. She tilted her head to the side, giving him ample access to her tender skin, her pulse throbbing erratically against his tongue. 

“You are gonna make me come again, carissima, do you feel it?” He growled, thrusting into her with wild abandon, jolting her frame every time he thrust into the hilt. She moaned hotly, gasping his name, chanting it as she too was thrown over the edge. As she came, he latched onto her throat, biting into her, drinking down her sweet plasma, tasting her release as well as feeling his own washing over him. He held her close as her blood flowed freely over his tongue, his senses drowning in all that was her. He slowly ground to a halt, knitting her wound by licking it gently. Then they both slumped. She took a few minutes to come to, her body humming slightly. She utterly enjoyed the weight of him on top of her, and she didn’t feel like moving. He kissed her gently, before rolling off her and she felt bereft, but didn’t argue.

“I do not think, I will ever get enough of you, my dear,” he said, chuckling softly, his finger dancing down her slightly trembling stomach. 

Bella laughed at that, tickled by his cold finger as it ghosted her skin. He kissed her passionately for a long time, before pulling back, and just gazing down at her.

It had grown dark outside, her room only lit by a bedside lamp. They were silent for a long time, Aro resting on his elbow, watching his fingers travel the contours of her body. She sighed contentedly, closing her eyes at the sensation. 

“Do you know, I have never felt like this with anybody,” he murmured gently. She opened her eyes, catching his gaze. His crimson irises were purple in the darkness. He gave a soft almost nervous chuckle. 

“It feels strange to say these things out loud,” he explained, glancing down at her shoulder.

She waited. 

“Isabella, my love, you should know, I have many dark sides. Even though I try to never let those affect you in any way, I need to warn you.” He spoke hesitantly, and she listened intently. 

“There will most likely come a time where you will get to see this side of me. My position requires me to never show any weaknesses. To do so, would be disastrous for the Volturi. You will be a part of the Volturi eventually, and therefore this may affect you too. Please know that anything I do, it is always for the greater good of this world we vampires occupy.” He watched her intently for a moment.

“I would hate for you to be shocked by my actions, so I need you to understand why I do the things I do,” he continued gently. 

“And please remember, I can read the minds of everyone, so my knowledge will always be greater than anyone. My actions will reflect the severity of my knowledge,” he added. 

Bella adjusted her legs a bit, suddenly feeling a bit cold. She grabbed at the duvet, slowly tugging it over her body. 

“I understand, Aro. But I may not always be able to keep my feelings to myself. Especially if I feel like it’s an injustice, that’s happening. We will just have to work through it. We both have some changes to make,” she said softly. He nodded solemnly, bending down to kiss her again. Little did she know how much he had already changed for her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to come, hopefully soon. 
> 
> -Pancakes


	15. Shadow Dreamer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will you look at that! Another chapter already. I woke up at five am. Far too early, but my brain had ideas. Oh well! Hope you enjoy! And thank you for taking your time to comment! i appreciate it very much!
> 
> Disclaimer: this chap contains smut. Again. Enjoy!

They spent the next few hours talking, Aro trying to get to know her on a deeper level, also telling her of himself. She was quite shocked to realise how old he was exactly, even though she knew the ballpark of his age. He had been around the block, so to speak. She wasn’t concerned with his age though. In fact it fascinated her. He had been around for a lot of the major historical events. 

“What was the Plague like?” She asked curiously. 

They were sitting in the living room now, Aro was resting easily back into the cushions of the couch, glancing around at the various contraptions, not the least the large TV. They had showered together, and she had put on a large t-shirt and panties, the sight of her bare legs only interrupted by the comfy socks on her feet. He was wearing his suit again, minus the jacket. It was late, or early, at three in the morning. She had ordered a pizza. He had insisted that she needed to eat and there had been nothing in the house. He had paid the pizza delivery to come swiftly, handing the money to the blonde young lady who delivered. She had stared open-mouthed at him, her eyes glazed over in that uncanny way when people had never seen a vampire before. Aro was his usual suave self, which did nothing to help the girl. She had blushed fiercely, making him smirk gently as he handed her the cash, their fingers brushing each other for the briefest of seconds. Bella would have scowled had she not been too busy trying not to laugh. The poor girl never knew what hit her. 

Bella had just put down the last crust of her dinner, when she asked the question. 

Aro considered her for a long time. 

“The Black Death was a particularly dark period in history. The humans were dying swiftly. Vampires were suddenly finding themselves short on food. We had to put up restrictions, making sure that not every human was killed.” He shifted somewhat, his gaze intently on her.

“Hungry vampires are of course particularly hard to control, their thirst driving them to extremes. Especially the newborns. We were working day and night to keep everyone in check. Those were dark days. I have never had such a long period without eating as we did in those days.” His voice was dark as he spoke of it. 

His eyes had been staring at her hands as he spoke. They snapped to her face as he finished talking.

“You helped save the humans?” She asked softly, her mild surprise evident in her words. 

Her mind was reeling. This was not something she had counted on. Aro gave an elegant shrug.

“It was purely for selfish reasons. We had to do something, or we would not be having many humans to feed from in a long time. Humans were dying in large numbers. The scarcity of our food source nearly created a war between rivaling covens. We were the only ones that had the foresight to see how things could go if we were not careful.” He explained all of this with a solemn air, and at this moment she truly saw the ruler in him. 

She pulled her legs up into the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest.

“I can’t believe you managed to do all that,” she whispered, picking at her sock, glancing down. 

“Well, we would never have managed quite as well without the power of Jane and Alec,” he said.

Bella glanced up at that. 

“This is why I like to find vampires with extraordinary talents. They help us keep the vampire population in check, you see,” He added softly. 

She nodded, suddenly feeling quite insignificant. This was an insight she had never really thought she would get. 

Aro leaned forward slightly.

“Maybe we should change the subject, my dear. It is rather dreary. Besides, it was long ago,” he added softly, sensing her discomfort. 

“I just-,” she began, shaking her head slightly. 

“I fear that there will be great expectations towards me, once I am turned and go to Italy. What if I am just as uninteresting as a vampire, as I am as a human? I don’t have many talents as a human, so they can’t really be that special as a vampire,” she said in a low voice. 

Voicing her inner fears relieved some of the pressure she was feeling.

She would never be as powerful as Jane for instance. She bit her lip. She didn’t dare look up, feeling her insecurity get the better of her at the moment. She felt Aro shift somewhat, and suddenly his strong thigh was touching hers. His arm came around her shoulders, and she felt him hug her gently, pulling her towards his chest. 

“You could never be uninteresting, _mia cara_. You will make for an intriguing immortal. It is not your abilities that decide whether you’ll be a great vampire or not. It is also your actions. Do not compare yourself to others, because it will never be realistic. Only time can tell what will happen. And Alice, naturally.” She heard his voice as it rumbled through his chest. His cold fingers hooked gently beneath her chin, and he tilted her head up, their mouths only an inch apart. 

“Your gifts go far beyond your immunity,” he said softly, his cold and sweet breath stinging her face as it ghosted across her skin. 

He leaned down, their lips meeting gently, his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, his tongue swirling gently around hers. She sensed his breathing becoming increasingly deeper, apparently enjoying her scent. 

“You are so tempting, my dear,” he said, his voice deep with evident arousal. 

“I have already laid with you twice, and here I am, eager for a third time.” She shivered somewhat at his words. 

“I should give you time to recover,” he added musingly, chuckling softly. 

It was already too late for her. He had lit a spark just by kissing her, and she wanted more. She kissed him eagerly, all the while climbing into his lap, making him lean backwards, his head resting on the back of the sofa. She practically attacked his mouth, never getting enough of the sweet taste of him. He groaned softly, the deep vibrations in his chest rattling her torso as she leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, responding to her kisses with a barely restrained passion. He cupped her ass, massaging her gently through the thin fabric of her underwear. She felt his hand glide further down, his finger languidly caressing the seat of her knickers, almost touching her clit, and she gave a soft moan at the sensation. He pulled her center against him, pressing his trapped erection flush against her core making her hips jerk at the contact. 

"Do you feel my desire for you?" He said softly, taking a deep breath as he felt her warmth even through his trousers. She merely whimpered.

Both of them eager for more, she gave no protest when he shifted slightly, easily freeing his cock from its confinements, he pulled her panties to the side and placed himself at her entrance, aligning their bodies. He gave a swift swivel of his hips and seated himself deep within her in one deep thrust. She cried out, her head falling forward, their brows touching. She got no time to brace herself, as Aro simply began to fuck her, pulling her down on his hard member, setting a fast and deep pace, making her incoherent within the first ten thrusts. Her fingers dug into his neck, her eyes closed tightly at the feel of him plunging into her again and again. She rocked experimentally against him. This position gave her plenty of friction, her clit being rubbed by his pelvis, and it took almost no effort for him to send her into a shuddering climax. She buried her face in his throat, her soft whimpers muffled by his body. He felt her snug channel as it squeezed and fluttered around his manhood, nearly making him light-headed with desire. He kept up the pace and had her come apart again three more times, every climax only a few minutes apart. She was practically mush as she was only being held up by him, his hands seemingly touching every part of her body. He felt his own release come close now, and found that he wanted to kiss her. He easily found her mouth, holding onto her throat as a deep groan floated from him. He began to thrust harder, easily bottoming out within her, pushing and rubbing at her walls, almost shifting her cervix around too. She gave another muffled moan, and he felt her tighten again, making his groin go hot with need. He began to pull her down onto his cock rapidly, and she almost immediately collapsed into a quivering mess, her insides practically pulsating around him, setting off his own release. He gave a deep gutteral groan and thrust into her a few times, holding her tightly against his chest. 

"You should get some sleep," he murmured soothingly. She didn't respond. He shifted her a little, peering into her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her brow slightly damp with sweat. She was sleeping already. He chuckled softly. 

_Nice going, Aro. Keep it up like this and you may very well kill her_. 

He chided himself, and then holding onto her, he got up and carried her up to bed.

* * *

Bella was huffing, furious once more. It was Monday and Mike had been at her again, insisting that they work together. He had even pressured her into coming with her home, trying to get her to help with his homework. She had said no several times, having to be more forceful than what should be necessary. Even so he had pestered her about a get together at his place later in the evening. She had acquiesced just to shut him up. She would call later to say that she wouldn’t be coming after all. She much rather wanted to spend the evening with Aro. 

She had had a much harder time focusing at school after they had made love. Her mind kept rewinding to the way his hips had rolled lustily into her body, filling her very soul, his lips seemingly not leaving a part of her body untouched. She kept getting distracted in class, her teacher seemingly knowing exactly when she would be indisposed. 

She managed to straighten up without completely falling off her chair, and only just answering the questions directed at her. 

She sighed softly. 

She had become a woman obsessed. She had of course had many dreams of them together, and even more fantasies, but reality was another thing entirely. Aro's passion was like a living thing of its own. The way he took her apart at every encounter and then put her back together. Her mind could barely wrap around the fact that he could make her lose her head so easily. She shifted somewhat on her chair, her insides warming at the thought of his touch. She mentally shook herself. 

_Get a grip!_

It took a lot of her will to focus in school. When she got back home, she found Aro in the kitchen. She stopped dead in the door, watching his elegant frame from behind, as he stood by the stove. She bit her lip, as she took in his strong broad back. The way she had clutched onto that back as he sensuously thrust into her. Her gaze dropped to his muscular thighs, recalling how they flexed and moved at every rolling movement of his hips, his ass-.

"Maybe you should get something to eat before we continue down that road," he said softly, rudely interrupting her perusal of his body. 

He turned around, holding a plate of lasagna. She only now registered the delicious scent wafting around the room. He had cooked for her. She blushed deeply, both by his comment but also at his thoughtfulness. She gave an indignant huff, and let her bag fall to the floor. 

"What road?" She asked innocently, walking over to him. He gave her a knowing smirk, but made no further comment. 

"Eat," he insisted, giving her the plate. 

She grabbed it and settled at the table. He supplied her with utensils, and sat down across from her. 

"You've kept yourself busy," she noted, blowing gently on her steaming food before taking a bite. It was absolutely delicious. She had never tasted lasagna like this before. 

"Aro, this is incredible! I didn't know you could cook!" She gushed, taking another bite. He smirked again. 

"Why thank you," he said softly. 

"With so many hours at my disposal, I was bound to get a few hobbies," he said, giving an elegant shrug. 

She gave a noncommittal nod and continued eating. He leaned back in his chair.

"How was school?" He asked, peering intently at her. She shrugged. 

"It's usual boring self. Mike has invited me over later, but I will be cancelling shortly." She spoke between mouthfuls. 

Aro frowned. 

"Who is Mike?" He asked curiously. 

Bella gave a deep sigh. 

"He's this guy from my class. He's really annoying me at the moment. He was alright when I was dating Edward, but now he's been insufferably insistent on spending time with me. It's really annoying," she said. 

Aro's frown deepened. 

"Do you think he has ulterior motives?" He asked, his voice not giving away his inner turmoil at the thought of this boy annoying his young mate. 

"Probably, yeah," she confirmed, shrugging.

"As if he ever stood a chance," she added, scowling. Aro said nothing further. He suddenly felt very possessive of her. He pursed his lips. This feeling wasn't new to him. He was usually quite possessive, but mostly when it came to his coven. He desired many things, and gifted vampires were among them. He did not like to let them go once they had entered his service. 

However, this feeling was somehow different. He recognised the danger in it, knowing full well that Isabella would not appreciate it, especially if he acted on it. He scowled inwardly.

This young man wanted Aro's new mate and Aro wanted to see what lengths he was willing to go to, to have her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts on this one!   
> -Pancakes


	16. The Nightmare Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, three chapters in less than 24 hours! I am pretty chuffed with that, considering how tired I am. Lol!   
> Alright, this will be the last chapter for a few days. I will be working like crazy the coming week, and so I will not be having too much time on my hands, unfortunately.   
> Thank you your reviews! I appreciate them all!  
> Someone gave me this idea! Thank you Kouga’s Older Woman for the suggestion!

During the afternoon Bella was on the phone with her father. They didn’t talk for long, and there were a lot of awkward silences too. Aro gathered that Charlie wouldn’t be home for a couple of more days. That suited him fine. He rather enjoyed staying with her, without having to sneak around. When she finished, she hung up and turned to him. 

“He won’t be home for a couple of days,” she said, confirming what he already knew. 

“Yes, I heard,” Aro said, smirking. 

Bella paused for a second, then shook her head. 

“Of course you did, you creep,” she muttered sardonically, smirking and turning away. 

“I heard that too,” he added darkly. 

She turned back towards him and gave him an impish look. 

“I know,” she sniffed.

Aro smirked at her again, flashing his teeth at her. 

“Soo, what am I going to do with you, all alone here?” He mused darkly, prowling closer to her. 

She couldn’t suppress a nervous laughter, as she watched him come closer. 

He easily caught her in his arms, holding her close. He growled contentedly and leaning down, he kissed her passionately, his fingers coming into her hair. 

He felt arousal rise up like an overflowing lake. She was lost in the kiss, but soon she placed a hand on his chest. 

“I just realised,” she said breathlessly. 

“I haven’t dreamed of you since…” she trailed off, blushing. 

“Since we first made love?” He asked her gently. 

She bit her lip, and nodded. 

“Well, I am glad that we have solved that problem. I will miss hearing you moan my name in your sleep though,” he said, smirking. 

Bella gasped softly, and glowering at him in a mock sort of way, she raised her hand to slap him in the chest. He easily caught her arm, halting her movement.

“I would not do that if I were you,” he said, a slight growl to his words. 

She scowled. 

“You are horrible!” She said. 

“Yes, I know, but you love it,” he said, kissing her wrist, reeling her in again for another deep kiss. 

She complied, moaning softly, insinuating her fingers in his hair. He began to kiss her jaw and throat, making her moan deeply at the sensations. 

He was nearly leaning her backwards in his passion, and she sighed, her hands on his shoulders.

“I should be doing my homework. And I need to call Mike to cancel my visit,” she suddenly said, sighing discontentedly.

Aro froze.

“What a terrible way to kill the mood,” he said, smirking.

She laughed. 

“Sorry!” 

He considered her for a long moment.

He would like to see this Mike. Well, there was most likely only one way to do that. A plan was forming in his mind. 

“Alright,” he said. “Then you should call Mike,” he said, smiling innocently, allowing her to step back from their intertwined bodies. 

* * *

The next day, Aro did not wait for Bella to come home. He had of course heard the entire conversation between her and the young man named Mike. He had been most reluctant to accept her cancelling on him. Aro had ground his teeth together as he listened. The frustration had welled up in him, and he had been most tempted to grab the phone from her and insinuate himself in the conversation. The boy needed to learn to respect a no. Aro intended to help him in that matter.

When he came to America and realised he would be staying here for some time, he had acquired a few items, including a place to stay and a black car, the newest model of Rolls Royce Ghost. He was thankful that he had no trouble acquiring money, their coven being exceptionally wealthy. Of course he could probably have stayed with the Cullens, but he didn’t feel like having to defend his actions to a certain blond vixen. Having his own place was much more convenient. He had checked in at the Four Seasons hotel in Seattle, getting their penthouse apartment. Not that he spent much time there, it did take a couple of hours for him to get to and from the place to where Bella was, but still, it was great accommodation. 

Aro had parked his car a few streets from Bella’s house so as to not draw attention to his presence at her place. Now he went to get it. He had packed a few choice items. Fresh clothes among others. He had changed into a fine Italian suit, the dark, silken material settling smoothly onto his frame. Now he was ready to go pick up his young mate and he intended to make an impression. 

* * *

Bella came out from class, squinting slightly, the overcast sky bright compared to the dank classroom. She had only just stepped out when she heard it. 

“Bella! Hey, Bella! Wait up!” She gritted her teeth and turned around slowly. There he was; Mike, trying to get to her through the throng of students. She gave a resigned sigh.

“Sooo, any plans for today?” He asked vigorously. 

“I really should be getting home,” she began, frantically trying to find an excuse to get away from him. 

“Let me walk you to your car, we wouldn’t want you to risk another accident,” he said, grinning at her, poking her on the arm. She nearly scowled. She wasn’t  _ that  _ clumsy. 

She kept silent as they went to her car. Mike prattled on, not even noticing her stony demeanour. 

As they neared her truck, she glanced up, grateful to see the old piece of junk. 

Then she halted in her tracks. Right beside her car, Aro stood leaning elegantly against a car that looked like it was built by NASA. He was dressed in a fine silken suit, his eyes intently on her. She noted they had turned black. 

“Isabella,” he said softly, smoothly stepping forward and hugging her gently, placing a single kiss upon her lips. 

Beside her Mike gaped in unchallenged astonishment, his blue eyes flicking from Aro’s expensive shoes to his car, a definite frown creasing his eyebrows. Bella was too shocked to react to anything, allowing Aro to press his icy lips to hers. As he withdrew from her, she stared up into his face blankly, before her visage slowly turned to a frown. Aro gave her a gentle smile, putting his arm around her shoulders. 

“Who is your friend?” Aro asked her, peering at the blond young man in front of them. 

“Aro, this is Mike, my classmate,” she said perplexedly, her frown turning suspicious all of a sudden. 

“What a pleasure to finally meet a friend of Isabella’s,” Aro said, extending his hand towards the boy.

Mike gulped slightly, cautiously extending a hand towards the intense dark stranger. He felt goosebumps as he looked into the black eyes. While not exactly unfriendly, there was a definite challenge in his gaze. His hand was deathly cold. Aro, smirked softly as he obtained what he needed in a single touch. He was too engrossed in coasting through the mind of this human, that he hadn’t noticed when Bella stiffened.

She was casting nervous glances around, trying to see if others saw them. She suddenly felt grateful that she had parked almost as far away as possible. 

She waited silently until Aro let go of Mike’s hand. 

“Well, my dear, we should be going. We have that table reserved,” he said pleasantly to her. 

Bella merely nodded, and glancing at Mike, she said;

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mike,” and then she turned around, allowing Aro to graciously open the door for her.

Mike merely nodded dumbfounded. As she got in, she nearly got sidetracked by the car's interior design. It was ridiculously luxurious. It even had a starry ceiling. She scowled. Aro got in behind the wheel, and was soon driving expertly out from the parking lot. But not before she saw Jessica’s astounded face as she noticed Bella in the front seat of the clearly expensive ride. Bella gave a sigh. Perfect.

She remained silent as she sat in her seat, not even watching where they were going. 

“Is something the matter, my dear,” Aro asked quietly.

Bella glanced at him. He looked so handsome she could just burst. She couldn’t believe he was hers, and yet, she felt uneasy and she couldn’t exactly explain why. Yet.

“I’m thinking,” she finally managed. 

Aro glanced at her. His eyes were crimson again. 

“Would you like to share?” He asked softly. 

Bella bit her lip, considering. 

“What  _ was  _ that?” She finally asked, turning to him. 

“What was what?” He seemed to be genuinely confused. 

“ _ That _ ! Back there!” She exclaimed pointing to the back of the car, feeling annoyance rise up in her. 

He glanced at her again. She sensed his momentary disquiet. 

“I wanted to pick up my mate from school. Is that a crime?” He asked her, frowning. 

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Aro! You overstepped a boundary!” She snapped, glaring at his profile. 

He drove on for a few moments. 

“I was only trying to help you,” he said softly.

“Help me? Why would you think I needed your help?” She asked forcefully. 

He sighed deeply. 

“That young man was not respecting you,” he finally said darkly. 

“So? I could have handled him, Aro! It is not your job to save me!” She was getting angrier by the moment.

“But it is!” he exclaimed softly. 

“I have to keep you safe,” he said, glancing at her. 

“You are a magnet for danger,” he added, smirking slightly. 

“It isn’t funny!” She exploded, making his smirk deflate. 

She glared at him for a long moment.

“It wasn’t about protecting me, was it?” She asked him finally. 

Aro didn’t answer. He stared out into the road, the dark green trees speeding past the car in what he imagined would be a blur to her human eyes. 

“You were marking your territory,” she noted, her scowl only deepening.

He gave another sigh. 

“You were jealous of Mike, weren’t you?” She pressed. 

“I was not jealous,” he said quietly. 

“Sorry?” She asked, disbelief in her voice. 

“I was genuinely trying to protect you. I thought that if he saw that you were… How shall I put it...? Taken, then he would leave you be,” Aro explained. 

Bella scowled at him. 

“If I wanted you to do that, I would have said something. I could handle him, Aro! You can’t just decide to intervene, because you get a little insecure,” She said. 

“I was  _ not  _ insecure,” he protested darkly. 

“Well, it certainly came off as that. You were marking your territory!” She repeated. 

Aro gritted his teeth. 

“Isabella, the boy is completely smitten with you. I saw it in his mind. He’s obsessed. He has these fantasies of you. If someone didn’t put him off, things could very well have turned more uncomfortable. Even dangerous,” he added. 

She considered him. 

“Even so, you overstepped a boundary. I would have gotten through to him eventually.” 

“No, you would not, my dear,” Aro glanced at her for the first time. 

“He would have ended up hurting you. Boys like him, they do not do well with rejection,” he explained gently. 

“His encounter with me, shocked him enough to rethink his goals. The get-together last night,” Aro added before she could interrupt him.

“It was not a get-together. He has been trying to get you on his own for a while. He planned on lying and say that you were the only one that came. He wanted to seduce you. Rather forcefully, I might add. He was growing desperate for your affection. At least he has been rendered harmless. For now.” Aro finished talking. 

Bella was silent. She stared out the window, thinking. Then she sighed. 

“Fine. But I still maintain that you should have discussed the matter with me before just acting!” She said angrily. 

Aro nodded. 

“I understand,” he said softly, glancing at her again.

“However, there will not always be time to consult you. If I sense a danger, I will act,” he added. 

Bella huffed softly, blowing out her cheeks. No matter his protests, she still thought he had acted jealously. She would get him to admit it eventually.

“What about my truck?” She finally asked. 

“I’ll ask Alice to pick it up. I would like to drive you to school tomorrow,” he said. 

“No! I will drive myself, thank you!” She said, anger flaring again. 

“Alright,” he submitted. 

It wouldn’t be long before she was finished with school. Then she would be his.

“Where did you get this car?” She asked after another long silence. 

“I bought it,” he answered placidly. 

“I guess I should have guessed,” she huffed. 

“Well, I needed transport. I have a suite at the Four Seasons hotel. A car is much more convenient,” he explained. 

“I get the idea,” she said glumly. 

“Are you still angry with me?” He asked her, frowning. 

“Yes.” 

He sighed.

“Listen, I am sorry,  _ mia cara _ , but I was truly only trying to protect you,” he said. 

“You were jealous too. You just don’t want to admit it,” she countered. 

Aro glanced at her again. He suddenly sensed more than saw it. He hit the brakes hard, the car lost speed fast and Bella was flung forward in her seat, the seatbelt catching her painfully, forcing the air from her lungs. 

Aro turned the wheel hard, expertly managing to avoid the tree that had fallen across the road. The car flew out onto the shoulder, bumping and scraping as it crunched across the tip of the tree's branches. He maneuvered the car back onto the road, having it almost complete a circle, suddenly facing the trunk on the other side. The car came to an abrupt halt and Bella gave a pained gasp, barely registering what had happened. 

Without a word, Aro was out the door, hastily assessing the surroundings. He had been certain he had seen it, but there was nothing. The air was silent. He took a deep breath, trying to get any whiff of what he had seen. 

But there was nothing. The trees were green without the slightest hint of orangy-red hair. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffie. I know! It just hit me as a sudden inspiration, and suddenly it could be no other way. I hope you can forgive me!  
> Let me know what you think!  
> -Pancakes


	17. No Stranger To Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty peeps!   
> Here's another chapter. It's short, because I'm sick and got a massive headache plus I am exhausted. Had to call in sick for work and get a COVID test done.  
> Please forgive the short chapter. Hopefully I'll be more fresh tomorrow to add to this story.

Aro gave another sweeping glance around at the trees before he got back into the car, thrusting it into gear, and peeling it around rapidly speeding down the road, away from the fallen tree. His senses were on edge, as he kept an eye out for any further attacks from the redhead. He was also focusing intently on his destination. 

“What’s wrong?” Bella asked, shifting around in her seat to be able to glance out the back window. 

“Why are we driving so fast?” She asked, staring at Aro’s profile. 

"I am getting you out of here," he answered softly.

“Aro, slow down, it will be okay. Nothing happened. Trees fall over all the time,” She said, her voice still a little shaky. 

“This was no accident,” He muttered darkly. 

“What?” She asked, shock seeping through the word. 

“It was Viktoria,” He added, not taking his eyes off the road.

“What?” She repeated. She sounded scared now. 

“Viktoria is here?”

“So it would seem,” Aro confirmed softly. 

"How do you know?" She asked urgently.

"I saw her," he said darkly.

She went silent then. 

"You know of her?" She whispered. 

"I do," Aro said, his voice growing even darker. 

"She is a particularly troubled vampire. She has eluded the Volturi for centuries. Her crimes are legion and she has only become more dangerous since the death of her mate." Aro said all this with his eyes on the road. 

"Her gift is exceptional. She is good at sensing when danger is coming. And she is after you," he added, his voice dangerous now. 

"I will be taking you to school tomorrow." It wasn't a question. 

Bella nodded, gulping slightly. 

"If you insist on going that is. Given the circumstances, I think you should take the day off," he added, still not looking at her.

Bella didn't answer.

They drove on for a long while. She suddenly realised they weren't going to her house. 

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, glancing at him. 

"The only place where you'll be safe for now," he said. She almost asked him what he meant, but then he spoke. 

"The Cullen's."

* * *

As Aro got out of the car, he hastily checked the surroundings for any signs of danger and then he opened the door in the passenger's side, allowing Bella to get out too. She glanced up at the large familiar house. It had been a while since she had been here. 

The door opened before they even reached it, and Aro set eyes on his long time friend. 

"Aro," Carlisle said, his face folded into a carefully constructed mask.

"Come in,"

"Thank you, Carlisle," Aro said, gently pushing Bella in before he himself stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind them. 

Bella was barely following events as things seemed to happen so fast. Carlisle clearly expected them and she guessed that Alice had something to do with it. 

"Are you alright, Bella?" Carlisle asked, peering into her face. 

"You look pale," he added softly. 

Bella stared at him mutely. 

"I think perhaps she is in shock," Aro explained, taking her by the elbow and nodding to Carlisle, indicating for them to move further into the house. 

Carlisle led them up through the house, finally stopping in the kitchen. 

They were all there. Edward, Alice, Jasper, Esme, Rosalie and Emmett. Aro took in everyone at once. 

Rosalie was glaring at him. This he had expected. Emmett and Jasper were frowning. Alice and Edward were smiling softly and Esme had a neutral expression. 

Aro nodded at them all, and then turned his attention to Bella. He led her to a kitchen chair and sat her down, standing beside her. The others gathered around them.

"What's going on?" Rosalie asked, her dark eyes glaring balefully at Aro. 

"Why is he here?" She added. 

"Rose," Carlisle said softly. 

"He's here because Viktoria attacked them," Alice interjected hastily. 

All heads turned to look at her. 

"But why is he with Bella?!" Rosalie sputtered impatiently. 

Everyone turned to Aro, watching him expectantly. His gaze met Alice. She nodded slowly. He glanced at Bella. She was still staring vaguely into space. He hesitated. What would happen if he told them the truth? Would they believe him? 

"It's okay Aro. Tell them," Edward said, his voice reassuring.

Aro mentally shook himself, sighing slightly.

"I am here, because Isabella is my mate," he said softly. Everyone but Alice and Edward froze. 

"You what?!" Rosalie exploded, standing swiftly, a challenging glare at him. 

"Rose, it's true," Alice said hastily. 

"I've seen it." 

There was a tense silence in the large kitchen. 

"How is that possible?" Carlisle said into the silence. 

"It is a long story," Aro said wearily," not intending to let all of them know what had happened in these last weeks. 

Edward smirked. Aro almost sighed. Well almost all of them. 

"And Viktoria attacked you? How? When?" Esme asked. 

"Shortly before we got here. She tried to crush us with a tree," he explained. 

Esme slowly put a hand over her mouth. 

"She is clearly still out to get Bella," Carlisle said, glancing at Edward, who nodded darkly. 

Aro glanced at his young mate. She had turned a delicate shade of green. 

"Where is your bathroom?" Aro hastily asked, easily hoisting Bella up into his arms. 

Carlisle saw the imminent danger and pointed to just around the corner. Aro flashed to the spacious room, putting down Bella. She barely made it. She kneeled in front of the toilet and vomited. Aro was beside her, doing his best to soothe her while she was sick.

"Are you alright, my love?" He asked once she finished. 

She was gripping her brow with one hand, her eyes closed, breathing heavily. 

"No," she croaked, speaking through her teeth.

"I can't believe she's back," she said, heaving a deep sigh, turning around and plopping down onto the floor, leaning against the bathtub.

"She will not hurt you," he said softly. He found a soft cloth and drenched it in cold water, slowly and carefully wiping her damp brow. 

"I will make sure of that," he added darkly, sitting down beside her, placing his arm around her.

"How? How can you protect me, Aro?" She asked miserably. 

"She will only run and then return at another opportunity. It will never end," she said. 

Aro gave a sigh. 

"That is why I took you here. I will ask them to keep you safe," he explained softly. 

"I can't stay here forever," she said desperately, turning her face towards his. 

He shook his head. 

"You won't have to, my dear," 

"It is only temporary," he added. 

Bella shook her head. 

"No, it won't do. What about my father? If she can't get to me, she will definitely try and get to him,"

Aro sighed, acknowledging the truth in her words. Viktoria was out for revenge, and she would take it anyway she could. 

"I will make sure he's safe. I will get my guards here, and they will protect him." 

There was a gentle knock on the door and Carlisle entered. 

"I think there's an easier way," he said softly, pointing over his shoulder at Edward who was peering into the room.

"We may have a closer ally," he said. 

"If he's willing," he added, looking intently at Bella's pale face. 

Suddenly it clicked. She gasped softly.

"Jacob," she whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to let me know your thoughts.   
> -Pancakes


	18. Shadow Dancer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps! Here's an update for this story. I hope you like.  
> Please be advised that this chapter contains smut. NSFW. Enjoy!

Aro studied the face of his old friend, then glanced at his young mate. She was still very pale, and he saw a bead of sweat roll down from her brow towards her jaw. 

"Jacob?" He finally asked, hoping for someone to elaborate.

"He's a friend," Bella said, her voice still slightly raspy. 

"Or at least we were. It's been a while... Not since I left for Italy," she said softly, closing her eyes at the memory. 

"I see," Aro said. 

He knew nothing of this Jacob. 

"How can he help us?" He asked. 

Carlisle shifted somewhat. 

"He's a werewolf, a shape shifter," he said softly. 

Aro stiffened. That was not what he had been expecting. 

"And he is your ally?" He asked sharply. 

"Well, he's not our enemy," Edward said. 

Aro got to his feet, doing his best to not justle Bella.

"They are dangerous," he hissed. 

"More dangerous than you?" Edward asked, smirking. 

Aro glowered at the boy. 

"Do not patronise me, boy. Werewolves are known to be volatile creatures. At least I have plenty of self control. That is not what can be said about these creatures," he said darkly. 

Edward said nothing, Carlisle smoothly stepped in between them. 

"Aro, Jacob will not harm anyone. Besides it's the best bet we have for now," he added. 

"No," a soft, but determined voice said behind them. 

They all turned to the young human. She had gotten to her feet too and had just rinsed out her mouth at the sink. Her eyes were bright with suppressed fear, but Aro saw flames there also. 

"We're not calling Jacob," she said, determined. 

"It's too dangerous," she added. 

Aro gestured elegantly towards his young mate, Indicating that he wholeheartedly agreed with her.

"For Jacob," she intoned, glancing at Aro, who stiffened somewhat again. 

He gave her a swift searching look and he wondered if she was still angry over his stunt at her school. 

"Victoria is too dangerous. She will hurt you. All of you, and I won’t allow it," she added. 

"Bella, we have to do something. Otherwise she will succeed in getting you killed eventually," Edward said. 

Aro held up his hand to silence him, looking intently at his young mate. 

"Do you have any suggestions, Isabella?" He asked softly, his eyes intently on her face. 

"I don’t want to live here. I want to go home. I have been safe so far, especially with Aro coming around the place," she hesitated, realising she might have said too much.

She shook herself a little, it didn’t matter. They all knew anyway. 

"I just don't want any of you to get hurt," she finished.

“Well, then maybe we could patrol the area regularly,” Carlisle said. 

“Alice can keep an eye on Viktoria from a distance,” he added.

“I still think we should at least warn the wolves. They deserve to know,” Edward said, frowning. 

“I will also contact Caius and ask him to send over a few guards. They will take a few days to arrive.” Aro glanced at Bella. 

“Can you live with these arrangements for now?” He asked, touching her arm gently. 

She nodded shortly.

“I’m tired, and I wanna go home. Besides, Charlie will get worried if he gets home and I’m not there,” she added. 

Aro nodded, taking a hold of her elbow, leading her out of the bathroom. She waved at them all, too tired to say much. 

* * *

“I did not know that you socialised with werewolves,” Aro said, his voice deliberately not accusing. It was more of a statement.

They were back in the car, the tires humming softly on the tarmac as Aro drove them towards her home. She shrugged, slouching in her seat. 

“As I said, we haven’t spoken in a while. He was interested in me, romantically. He had begged me not to go to Italy, but I went, and since then he hasn’t been to see me. Then I started having those dreams of you, and I got a bit distracted by that,” she explained. 

“I dare say anyone would be distracted by that,” Aro noted quietly, keeping his eyes on the road. 

Bella snorted. 

“Yeah, I have practically been obsessed with you ever since I met you,” she said, smiling softly. 

“Well, the feeling has been quite mutual,” he said gently, glancing at her and giving her a smile. 

Bella gave a soft exhalation, the noise wasn’t lost on Aro, and he smirked at her. She bit her lip. He never failed to take her breath away. She had long since forgotten why she was mad at him, especially with all this Viktoria mess suddenly popping up. She had to concede that he had only been trying to help her. And Mike probably got the message. 

Her mind flashed back to the gentle kiss he had placed on her lips, right in front of everyone. Her heart gave a slow stutter as she suddenly felt like she needed more. He seemed to sense it, because he glanced at her again, smiling wolfishly at her, and suddenly drove the car onto the shoulder of the road, finding an abandoned parking space between the trees. He killed the engine, and turned to her. The car had filled with shadows, both because they were now parked under the trees, but also because it was late afternoon, the sun was rapidly disappearing beneath the tree line. She sat biting her lip again, waiting for his next move. 

“Do you want me to kiss you, young one?” He asked her smoothly, his open mouthed smirk in place. 

Bella gave a hesitant nod. He leaned forward, and her breath caught in her throat, as she saw him come closer to her. His crimson eyes homed in on her mouth and he placed a gentle kiss on her lips, his nose touching hers. His hand came up to her throat, his thumb caressing her jaw slowly, as he kissed her on the lips again, before he moved his mouth to her cheeks and eyes. She was breathing heavily now, wanting to kiss him more deeply, and she clutched onto the lapels of his jacket, trying to steer his lips where she needed them. He obliged and captured her lips in a fierce kiss, easily dragging her down into a murky hotness of desire. Suddenly she felt him pick her up, and place her across his lap, her ass resting on the lower edge of the steering wheel, her knees tucked neatly on either side of him. He kissed her again, pulling her body close to his chest, growling softly. She felt his excitement, his already hard cock pressing into her core. She couldn’t help but grind against him, her body shuddering with the delicious friction. 

“We should probably wait until we get home,” Aro murmured against her lips, though he was reluctant to let her go. He buried his face in her throat, breathing her in deeply, enjoying the way she was moving against him.

“Yeah,” she breathed, not really eager to leave his lap. 

“It really is too dangerous to linger in the woods, especially now,” he added cautiously. 

She heaved a sigh, looking into his face, kissing him again. 

“Please take me home,” she said, softly. He growled against her lips again, and after she had clambered off his lap, he sped out from the parking space, racing towards her home. 

* * *

“Do you think that werewolves could take out Viktoria?” Bella asked after a few moments of silence. 

After his warning, she had grown kind of pensieve and quiet. At her words, he glanced at her, pondering the question.

“They are certainly strong creatures, with a lot of natural instincts and battle skills. I know they have been able to kill a lot of vampires. But vampires have also killed them. They work well in packs against a single vampire.” He faltered for a moment.

“However, Viktoria is a formidable enemy. With her particular skill set, I feel certain she can elude them. In fact she probably already has. If I understand it correctly, the wolves patrol this land, and if that is true, they should have encountered her already. As I said, she is very good at self preservation,” he said, speaking in a gentle voice.

“No, they patrol their own lands. She might have been smart enough to keep away from them, then,” Bella said, mumbling the last bit more to herself. 

Aro glanced at her again, and grunted. 

“Most likely then,” he concurred. 

They drove on in silence. 

“You would like to speak to him, wouldn’t you?” Aro stated softly. She looked up at him. 

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. 

She felt so conflicted. She didn’t want her friend to be hurt, and felt like she needed to warn him, but she also knew that doing exactly that might make him do exactly what she didn’t want him to do. Aro seemed to sense her indecision, but he said nothing. It was a decision she would have to make on her own, his opinion would matter little. 

He kept his eyes on the road, the tires droning dully against the tarmac. Bella kept quiet as well. Aro probed his feelings towards this Jacob. He didn’t know him, but he knew that this was another person who had a keen interest in his young mate, and Aro could not deny that he suddenly felt that possessiveness again. This was for another reason though. Werewolves were notoriously dangerous and even reckless. Allowing such a person near her, he felt was almost as dangerous as Viktoria, even if it was an accident that she would get hurt. He had a feeling that the best solution to this, would be to bring Bella back to Italy, where she could be guarded constantly. 

He nearly shook his head at himself. That was no solution. It would be prison. Bella would certainly not accept such an arrangement. He tried to argue with himself that it was only temporary, until Viktoria was dealt with, but he knew he could easily find a new excuse to keep her under guard. It was a slippery slope, and he intended not to go that way again. 

Still, he could certainly protect her better in Italy than here. It would take Viktoria a while to figure out where the girl had gone, and then they would be prepared for her. 

He glanced at her. Darkness had almost fallen, and her face was only illuminated by the reflected light of the headlights of the car, and the lit screen in the dashboard. He wondered if he should ask her once again to come with him to Italy. He desisted, knowing her answer despite the fact that he could not read her. 

They arrived at her house, and immediately realised that Charlie had gotten home, his police cruiser parked out front. Bella gave a disgruntled sigh, matching Aro’s feelings precisely. 

“I will park a few streets away, then you can walk home. I will keep a close watch on you, and then I will meet you in your room,” He said softly, driving past her residence. 

* * *

Bella took a couple of minutes to walk the short distance to her house. Charlie greeted her in his usual gruff manner, asking how she had been. It would take her a week to recount the entire events of the day, so she responded in her usual manner as well. 

He had apparently already eaten because he suddenly said:

“That lasagna you made was delicious by the way.” 

Bella’s mind immediately flashed to Aro, who was probably in her room smirking at that comment. She merely nodded, making a muttered comment about needing to do her homework, and aimed for the stairs. 

“Did Edward pick you up for school? I noticed your car is missing,” Charlie asked her abruptly, pointing out the window, forcing her to halt in her steps and turn around to face him. 

“No, Jessica drove me most of the way home. I needed some fresh air, so she dropped me off down the road.”

“Right,” he said slowly, apparently not believing her entirely. 

"I'm going to bed," she muttered, swiftly turning around and bounding up the stairs, eager to see her dark vampire who was waiting for her.

* * *

As she entered her now dark room and closed the door behind her, she was almost immediately grabbed and pinned against the wall beside the door. To her, the darkness was complete, so she could only recognise him due to his distinct smell, and she gave a startled gasp as he kissed her passionately, pressing the length of his body against her. His hands were at her shoulders, but he traced them down her body, eager to feel her skin beneath his questing fingers. He cupped her sex on the outside of her jeans, sensing her body jerking almost imperceptively.

“I am so pleased that you chose to come back here,” he murmured softly at her, his words almost whispery in the darkness.

“I do not think I could have handled it if you had chosen to stay at the Cullen’s,” he added, pushing his pelvis in between her legs, pressing eagerly against her core. She gave a tiny whimper at the sensation, her fingers digging into his shoulders. 

“I am going to ask you to be quiet, do you think you can do that?” He asked her, his deep voice alone nearly making her moan. 

She gave a single nod, biting her lower lip, and he took her hands and pulled her through the shadows, kissing her deeply, while simultaneously turning her around so her back faced the bed. He hastily pulled down her jeans, leaving her with her panties on. Suddenly she was on her back, Aro crawling on top of her, his talented fingers easily divesting her of her top, his hands finding her breasts, hastily followed by his mouth as he sucked a nipple in between his lips, lashing it a few times with his tongue. Bella's head snapped back, as she fought the urge to moan, her teeth clenched hard together. He switched to her other breast, the coldness of his mouth making her gasp softly, her fingers grabbing onto the cover beneath her, the fabric scrunching up. 

Aro insinuated himself between her thighs, eagerly grinding against her core. Her entire body curled up, her legs coming up around his waist as he rolled gently against her. She gave a tiny whimper, her body giving a few violent shudders. 

"You are going to have to do better than that, my dear," he crooned, as he slowly slid down her body, placing himself between her legs, his face level with her core. 

He licked her left inner thigh slowly, working her up before he took the plunge, though her scent alone was driving him wild. Then he laved her right thigh, moving deliberately, making her rock against him, her desperation for his touch was evident. 

He gently prodded her clit with his tongue, fluttering across it, the touch almost too light for her to feel, though it was enough. Her pelvis shut upwards, hunting for more of the delicious sensation. He gave her an open-mouthed kiss just above her clit, licking down her outer labia. She wriggled trying to get his attention to that one spot where she needed it. Her breathing was already laboured, and Aro knew she would fall apart easily enough. He nudged in between her inner labia, searching out her entrance, feeling a few droplets of her redolence, as he licked upwards, catching her clit in one broad swipe, making her moan softly. 

"Softly now," he said, before placing his open mouth on her clit, licking and suckling at her tender flesh, making her jerk. She lifted her legs up, spreading them widely as she tensed all over. 

He intensified his ministrations, suckling her clit deeply, releasing it with a pop, before lapping at it with a broad tongue. Bella was shaking now, an almost guttural groan coming from her, as she shattered, her body convulsing harshly. She had barely recovered, before he hastily crawled on top of her, divesting himself of his trousers, and thrusting into her still fluttering heat in one deep push, filling her to the hilt. Her cry was captured by his mouth, as he kissed her passionately, all the while beginning to fuck her, his next stroke as deep at the first. She clung to him, whimpering, knowing she needed to keep silent, but oh gosh the sensations he was creating was almost too much for her. It took him less than ten plunges into her heated body to make her come apart again, and she shuddered beneath him, her head buried in his chest, her arms wound tightly around his back, as she fought to keep in control of her mind and body. She knew in this instance that he was in control of her very soul. 

He raised himself up on his hands, rocking his hips into her at a slightly different angle, and he easily had her climax again, thrusting slowly but deeply into her again and again, fucking her relentlessly through the orgasm. Her hair was splayed wildly around her head, his dark locks sometimes tickling her face and collarbone, as she rolled her head from side to side, feeling the need to scream growing increasingly hard to resist. He growled softly as he felt her clamp down around his member as she once again was hurtled over the edge, her breathing harsh and erratic. He placed himself down on top of her, their chests mashing together, feeling her demanding cunt grabbing him almost greedily, as she dragged him with her over the edge one final time, his thrusts becoming less controlled as he pushed into her a few times, breathing against her throat, his seed spilling into her. Then they slumped. 

The silence was almost complete, save for her panting breath. 

"You should try to sleep," he said softly, brushing her hair out of her face. 

"I should be doing my homework," she said, sighing contentedly. 

Aro chuckled. 

"I can help you with that," he said, gently rolling off of her. 

They spent the rest of the evening together in bed, Aro helping her with whatever she didn't know the answer to herself. It was quite a close run, but he did of course out match her knowledge in the end. 

Eventually she got ready for bed, only leaving the room to go shower an brush her teeth. He waited for her return, listening the sounds Charlie was making. The TV was blaring in the living room, and he knew by the distinct breathing, that the man had fallen asleep on the sofa. 

Bella returned, smelling fresh and her hair damp. She crawled gratefully into bed, feeling like the day had lasted forever. 

Aro allowed her to cuddle close to him, and it took her less than a few minutes to drift off. He kept completely still, the darkness and her rhythmic breathing lulling him into a quite relaxed state, if there was such a thing for creatures like him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts! It took me quite a while to develop this chapter. I hope it's okay. Now I'm off to bed! It's late, and I have work tomorrow morning, bright and early.   
> Goodnight!
> 
> -Pancakes

**Author's Note:**

> Pleasee let me know what you think so far! Thank you! 
> 
> -Pancakes


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